The Vale Voice
by mikotyzini
Summary: Blake sees The Vale Voice - the only Faunus-run newspaper in Vale - as her way to help better the lives of Faunus. Unfortunately, The Voice has fallen on hard times, but a deal with a prospective advertiser might be just the break they need. The only question is...how will she react when the ideals and beliefs she's held for so long are challenged by someone she never saw coming?
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to a new story! Yes, already. So soon! This one is just bees - I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

Mondays were a blur. Well, _every _day was a blur as of late, but especially Mondays. Not that Blake really noticed anymore. After spending the past few months at this breakneck pace, she was accustomed to running into the week from the weekend.

Motion, commotion, devotion - that was her new mantra. Keep moving, deal with the fervor as best as she could, and maintain her devotion to the cause.

That's what this was all about, right? That's what this ceaseless work was for. That's why she stayed late at the office. That's why she lost sleep. That's why she spent most of her time searching for ways to succeed.

For what? What was worth all this effort? She could sum it up in a single word: Faunus.

What were they? Nothing, really. Not in today's world, at least. They maintained their existence at the fringes of society but were never fully accepted into the greater human world. They were subject to discrimination, inequality, intolerance, prejudice...even hatred - all for having the audacity to _exist_.

She was one of them. It was her most defining characteristic - what people saw before anything else - and it was inseparable from any other trait she possessed (She was rather smart _for a Faunus._ She was rather successful _for a Faunus._). But, more than any of that, it was inescapable.

She was a Faunus. And, like every other Faunus she knew, her childhood was spent dreaming of a time when her life would be...better. When she was nothing more than a toddler running around the cracked and unkempt playgrounds of her youth, she made a promise to herself that _she _would make a difference. She would change the world for all Faunus. Her children, if she ever had any, would grow up in a society far different from the one she knew.

Lofty as it may be, that goal led her to this Monday, where she sat in a small office in a crumbling building so far off the beaten path it quite possibly existed in a different realm entirely. It was this goal that made her squint at the computer screen for hours on end while sorting through numbers, charts, and data that had hardly any relevance to what she actually hoped to accomplish. It was this goal - equality for Faunus - that led her to The Vale Voice, the only Faunus-operated newspaper in Vale.

She'd started out as nothing more than a junior journalist but, through a series of departures and rapid changes, somehow found herself in the position as editor-in-chief. While still relatively new to the role, she'd already discovered that her expanded job duties included wrangling a group of five Faunus journalists together while struggling to keep the lights on and the ink flowing. That last part had become more difficult recently, as the numbers and charts on the screen reminded her.

After sighing and rubbing the exhaustion from her eyes, she refocused on the screen. The last issue had maintained a relatively flat number of copies sold and distributed, with a slight dip downward. One issue wasn't a problem, but when _every _issue over the past year and a half sank steadily lower, that little dip was a sign of worse times to come.

Their readership amongst Faunus had hardly budged, which meant it was only others - the humans - who were moving on. Part of her scoffed at the trend and said 'good riddance' but, rationally, she knew that those were the readers they _needed_ to reach. If there was any hope of change, it was through humans understanding that Faunus should be considered equals - and _listening_ to the words Faunus had to say. If humans were unwilling to read what they wrote...would change ever be possible?

Her destiny hadn't been becoming a fighter, or an orator, or a leader who could rally a thunderous crowd of supporters - but writing...writing was something she could do. Words had the potential to change people. They could bring the strongest man to tears and give the weakest child strength. They could stir emotions, draw forth actions, or dispel suspicions.

She wasn't one for crowds but with a pen on paper, or fingers on a keyboard, she could wage a war on her own. These were her trenches, this was where she fought her battles. But so far...she was losing.

The ringing phone jolted her from her muses and back to the small office she could practically call home. After glancing at the time, she sighed and picked up the call.

"Blake Belladonna speaking."

"Hello Blake. This is Mr. Edmond…"

"Mr. Edmond, what a surprise," she greeted him, even though the call wasn't a shock - she'd dreaded it all morning. "What can I help you with?"

"I was just calling to remind you that rent was due several weeks ago -"

"Right," she replied to the unspoken question, dropping the act they always played. "And I'll have it for you in a few days, I promise. We're just waiting on payment from the distributors for the last issue."

"Ok...I'll expect it by the end of the week then."

"Absolutely." Even though he couldn't see her, she nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. "By the end of the week. I'm sorry for the delay."

"It's alright, Blake. But...if you fall too far behind, I'll have to find new tenants for that space."

"I understand. I'm hoping that won't be the case."

"Me too. Have a wonderful day."

As soon as the call disconnected, she dropped the phone in its cradle and resisted the urge to bury her head in her hands. Unfortunately, one of the drawbacks of having an office with glass walls was that it offered little in terms of privacy from the main office space beyond. She could draw the blinds, of course, but that seemed a bit too secretive in such a close-knit work environment. So the blinds remained open, and she masked her emotions from her coworkers.

Mr. Edmond had always been lenient and reasonable, but she was afraid they neared the end of that patience. There were only so many times they could pay the rent late before he decided that he preferred more timely tenants. She could blame him for that...she would probably do the same if in his position.

When two knocks rattled the door to her office, she looked up and watched a hulking bear of a man squeezed through.

"Hi Brand." Temporarily putting aside her troubles, she focused instead on what he'd come to see her for.

"Hey Blake," he greeted her with his low, grumbly voice that was probably intimidating to those who didn't know him. "Just wanted to remind you I'll be out the next few days. Taking the family to Ice-Land."

"Oh, that's right," she replied, rubbing her eyes before attempting a small smile. "Are the kids excited?"

"You bet. They haven't stopped talking about it for months." Reaching up, Brand scratched his slightly-wild short brown hair before running his fingers through the dark brown beard that nearly hid his smile. "Zell's all about adventure right now. Said she wants to go on all the rides."

"She's pretty fearless, isn't she?"

"Just like her mom," he replied, but his proud grin dropped into a near scowl when a thought occurred to him. "Hopefully there aren't too many of..._those_ folks...around."

Understanding that 'those folks' meant 'humans,' who would undoubtedly be swarming an amusement park such as Ice-Land, Blake shook her head.

"I don't know if you'll be that lucky, but I hope you have a great time anyway. Is Lola covering your pieces?"

"Got 'em mostly done, but yeah she'll put 'em through."

"Perfect," she replied with a relieved smile. "We'll see you when you get back."

With a nod, he ducked his head and left her office behind. She watched him head back to his desk before refocusing on her own work, which now included taking into account his impending absence.

Fortunately, he must have worked extra over the weekend to finish his articles for this week. That was above and beyond what she expected from him but made her life substantially easier. Victor was always willing to pick up a crime article or two, but his end results paled in comparison to Brand's grittier, more knowledgeable style.

Thankfully, Brand had time to take a vacation with his family. He deserved it for the extra work he'd put in recently. Well...they all deserved a vacation at this point.

Returning to her charts, she doubled her efforts to figure out _some_ way to dig themselves out of this mess. There had to be an answer somewhere...but, unfortunately, it looked like she needed a random strike of inspiration to find it.

After hardly enough time to formulate a complete thought, voices and movement drew her gaze.

" - telling you, you're wrong," she heard as her office door swung open and two of her other coworkers strode inside.

"We'll see," came the soft reply, masked in an even softer accent. Turning away from whatever she hoped to work on, she focused on their problem instead.

"Velvet...Sun...what is it this time?"

"We need you to settle a debate," Velvet explained while holding up two photographs. "Which one do you prefer? I like this one -" She waved the one in her right hand. "But Sun wants to use this one." When she waved the photograph in her left hand, she also bent one long, velvety ear in Sun's direction.

Leaning forward, Blake took both pictures from Velvet before laying them flat on her desk to examine.

"What's the article about again?" she asked while studying each in turn.

"It's the peewee baseball championships!" Sun burst out, unable to remain silent any longer. "Hers is too artistic - we don't need artistic! It's a bunch of kids playing baseball, and one team _happens _to win even though they both try really hard not to."

"Just because they're bad at baseball doesn't mean they should be poorly represented," Velvet argued. "If anything, isn't that more of a reason to make sure they shine?"

"There's no 'shining' in peewee sports - they're covered in dirt all the time."

Having heard both arguments, Blake glanced between the two choices one more time before reaching a decision.

"He's right, Velvet. Your choice is clearly better from a photography standpoint, but this type of article could use a more...typical...celebration picture."

Her choice made, Blake pushed the photos back to Velvet. Picking them up and turning them around, Velvet gave them another good once over before slowly nodding.

"Alright…" she agreed. "But I'm keeping the other to use later."

"That's a great idea," Blake replied as Velvet walked out with a smile. She and Sun squabbled every once in a while over differences in design. Fortunately, she was easy to work with and took suggestions (and defeat) really well. Sun, on the other hand...

Running a hand through his perpetually-spiky blonde hair, Sun hung back in the office and flashed a big grin.

"What're you up to?"

"Just working," Blake answered, sensing his tone and picking up one of the pages she'd printed earlier.

"Cool cool," he said before sitting on the edge of her desk. His long golden tail casually curled up and down while he sat there - a modest distraction Blake could live without. "So I was thinking...if you're free tonight, maybe I could take _you_ out to a ball game?"

"Sorry, I'm going to be working late," she replied - although she only made the decision to stay late at that very instant. Deflecting felt like a nicer way to avoid his more-than-friendly invitations than coming right out and saying that she _just wasn't interested _in him in _that_ way.

Chuckling at the response, he swiped a pen off her desk and tossed it up in the air before catching it.

"One of these days you'll say yes!" he joked, clearly undisturbed by her answer. Since he didn't take the hint, she might need to be more direct one day, but...she didn't have the emotional energy to handle that right now.

"Are you covering that big game this week?" she asked as a change of subject while watching him toss and catch the pen again.

"Do I have to?"

"Sun."

Sighing at her scolding tone, he tossed the pen in the air again.

"I don't get why we have to cover that stuff!" he whined. "The other papers will get it."

"Because it's a big event that everyone will expect to read -" she began to explain but stopped when he nodded. He understood the reasoning - he just loved to complain.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Human sports are so _boring _though. All the players are exactly the same - what fun is that?"

"Not much we can do about it."

Blowing a breath through his lips, he tossed the pen in the air once again, but this time caught it with his tail before dumping it on her desk and standing up.

"Fine. I'll cover the boring baseball game. And the boring soccer game. And the boring -"

"I get it," Blake interrupted, holding up one hand to stop his parting argument. Grinning, he backed towards the door and winked before opening it.

"As long as you feel my pain!"

Even though she shook her head at the response, she _did_ feel a bit of the pain Sun referred to. They didn't have the staff or resources of the larger papers, yet they covered most of the same events. And, in her opinion, they covered those events _better_, with a less biased lens. But there was good journalism, and there was telling people what they wanted to hear. One of those led to the rather sad numbers gracing her computer screen…

If only she could figure out a way to boost their readership without compromising their values, and without pandering to humans for their charity. Nothing would be worse than being seen as the struggling Faunus paper that _needed_ help - they didn't need help, they needed...understanding.

Hearing a soft knock on the still-open door, she nearly sighed at the third interruption in the course of a few minutes.

"May I have a few moments of your time?"

Giving up on her other work entirely, she beckoned Victor into the room - already knowing what he wanted to speak to her about but asking "What is it?" regardless.

"About this correction -" When he extended his most recent article towards her, she willingly took it and looked at the circled word he gestured to. "What's wrong with 'pusillanimous' in this context?"

"There's nothing wrong with it," she replied. "It's a fine word and works in that context."

After returning the page, she watched his sharp eyes narrow while poring over the article. Every blue line she'd made had been dissected and weighed before he came in to defend his intelligence - the same process they repeated each week without fail.

"If it's the proper word -"

"Victor," she cut in with a patient head shake she'd perfected over time. "We both know the word is right, but that doesn't mean we should use it. We all know your vocabulary is massive - I'm positive you can use that intellect of yours to find a suitable replacement. And one that a majority of our readers will understand."

The compliment made him stand straighter, push his wire-rimmed glasses onto the crook of his nose, and lose some of his bristle. If he had feathers, they surely would have unruffled and fallen back into sleek form.

"I was only attempting to enlighten those willing to expand their minds," he replied. "Learning new vocabulary is the most basic of starting points."

"I know. That's why I left 'androcracy' and 'vitriolic.'"

Taking in the new information, Victor let out a soft 'whooo' as he exhaled. Then he studied Blake - reading her for clues - before weighing his options on what to say next. Should he argue for 'pusillanimous' and risk losing two of his other precious words? Or should he compromise and consider the inclusion of two out of three as a success?

"I will come up with a more widely-recognized word," he finally agreed with a determined nod.

"Great. Thank you for being so understanding." When Blake smiled, Victor nodded and left the office to accomplish his task. Watching the short man - maybe only half of Brand's height - return to his desk, she caught Lola's eyes, and they shared a knowing shake of their heads. Lola's ears flicked to the side as she did so, while her long, pointed horns swayed gracefully above her head.

If anyone in this office was low maintenance, it was Lola. It ran counter to everything Blake expected, seeing as how the gazelle Faunus was in charge of entertainment. However, Lola preferred to keep the drama of celebrity contained to her articles - not the workplace.

Hopeful that the interruptions were done for now, Blake returned to her own task - searching through the statistics and wishing a clue would jump out at her.

Sometimes, she wondered whether she was even qualified to go through these numbers, seeing as how she was a writer, not a marketer or businesswoman. Unfortunately, she'd been forced to wear more hats than she thought possible ever since the previous editor-in-chief retired and moved to Atlas. Without his guidance, it was solely up to her to chart their course from here on out.

Obviously, their most pressing need was money, and readership paid only a tiny portion of their operating expenses. The real money came from companies willing to pay to reach those readers. With more readers came more competition for the limited advertising space, which meant more advertising dollars. Right now, they were severely lacking in either.

Still, she held onto hope that this problem would change. They just needed to find companies willing to give them a chance - although, that would be a temporary solution, at best. If their numbers kept declining as they had been, even the most Faunus-friendly companies would be forced to pull their advertisements.

It was a bandaid, but at least it gave them some time. The cure lurked out there somewhere - if she was ever going to find it, she needed all the time she could get.

Resigned to what the numbers and graphs told her, she pulled up a list of Vale businesses she found last week and picked up where she left off - sending emails to whatever marketing departments she could find. By now, the process was an assembly line of sorts - find the company's website, find an email, alter a few fields on the template she'd created, send, and move on.

Bursts of laughter and bits of conversation filtered through the walls to her ears, but she hardly paused her work. Noticing Brand stand and stretch to his full, towering height, she barely broke pace to give him a quick wave before he left the office with his tattered brown briefcase in tow. Victor and Lola must have slipped out sometime after without her notice because the next time she happened to turn away from her computer only Sun and Velvet remained. They were both preparing to leave, however, but first Velvet tapped on Blake's door before quietly opening it.

"Don't stay _too_ late."

"I won't," Blake replied, even though the look Velvet gave in return said that she suspected it was a lie. "Really. I just want to send a few more emails first."

"Ok...well, see you tomorrow."

"Have a goodnight," Blake said before Velvet walked out, leaving the door open since the office would soon be empty.

"See ya, Blake!" Sun called out before leaving with Velvet. After sending them both a wave, Blake went back to her list. Just a few more, then she'd call it a day.

Some of these companies were reaches. Some were too small to consider _any_ type of marketing budget. She sent them emails regardless. The only companies spared her slightly beseeching email were those that she already knew were aligned against Faunus in some way or the other. Those companies were easy to find, as their owners or managers went out of the way to make headlines with absurd quotes such as: "Well, we'd hire a Faunus if we found a good one."

That was one of the mentalities she strove to root out, so she worked steadily and methodically through the list. Only after completing a full page did she lean back in her chair and stretch her arms above her head.

That took about an hour longer than she'd expected. It was now after dinnertime, which explained the gnawing in her stomach, but she was satisfied with the progress made.

Deciding that it was past time to throw in the towel for the day, she shut off the computer and packed up her belongings. Hopefully, she would hear back from some of the companies as early as tomorrow morning. Of course, the earlier the response, the more likely the answer was a flat 'no.'

Slinging her bag over one shoulder, she walked out of her office and through the two rows of desks in the main office. After making it to the exit, she paused to turn off the lights before stepping into the hall and locking everything behind her. Only when positive that the door was locked did she head to the stairwell and take the two flights down to the lobby.

The small office building was in a predominantly Faunus area, and The Vale Voice shared the premises with a variety of other small businesses - a dentist's office, an artist's studio, and a construction company only some of them. At this time of day, however, it seemed like she was the only one still working.

Pushing the front door open and stepping into the chilly evening air beyond, she hugged her jacket closer and set off for home. With the sun disappearing and night firmly taking hold, her pace was quick while she stuck to the shadows cast between the buildings and the streetlights. Not that she felt particularly unsafe - this area was safer than the general public gave it credit for - but she preferred to remain undetected if possible.

Office buildings soon gave way to apartment complexes, scattered homes, and the occasional restaurant filled with voices celebrating the end of another long workday. Even if she wanted to stop and partake in such festivities, she never felt like she had time to spend on such frivolity. So onward she walked.

After turning the corner at the end of the block, she glanced across the street to the small park where a group of Faunus played thunderball on a cement court with cracks and weeds to go along with the faded lines. The nets had frayed long ago, but the metal rims were still there for them to use - which they did with joviality she must have lost with age, if she'd ever had it at all. Watching as what could only be a leopard Faunus easily leapt over a crowd of blockers, she smiled before turning away and leaving their shouts and laughter behind.

Having reached the neighborhoods, signs of life cropped up all around her. An elderly couple walked along the sidewalk hand-in-hand - their slow, methodical pace speaking to their age and increased patience with the world. A raccoon in a rush jogged past Blake - carrying a large paper bag in his arms and hardly noticing her presence while passing by. Behind the raccoon was a middle-aged woman in a suit, carrying a briefcase and running one hand through her long rabbit ears as if trying to straighten the day out of them.

As the two of them were about to cross paths, an engine roared nearby before wheels squealed in protest sliding around the corner. Concerned by the loud noise, Blake looked behind her and spotted an expensive black car speeding down the empty road with zero care or interest in public safety. On the straight stretch of road, the driver pressed the accelerator even further and caught everyone's attention with the deafening engine propelling the speeding bullet by. It wasn't until the vehicle pulled even with Blake that she noticed the back window was rolled down, and an object flew out of it an instant later.

"Go find another forest to live in!" the passenger shouted as the empty soda cup narrowly missed the woman walking in front of her. The cup hardly hit the ground before the driver gunned it and sent the car shooting off down the street - the sound of raucous laughter somehow making it over the noise of the engine.

In the moment of stunned silence that followed, Blake and the rabbit Faunus briefly locked eyes - both coming to terms with what just happened. After the two of them shared their unspoken grievances, the woman reached down, picked up the cup, and threw it into the nearest garbage can. Without a word - not a single complaint other than the look she gave Blake - she carried on as if nothing happened.

But her pace was quicker than before. And her ears held a slight droop they hadn't before. Those ears reminded Blake so much of Velvet, it was hard not to see a bit of her friend in those disheartened eyes and downcast stature. Velvet would probably react the same way - no complaints about the insults and ridicule hurled at her for no reason other than the ears which should stand tall atop her head.

Even on 'their' side of town, where Faunus were the majority, humans still felt the need to stop by and remind them that they weren't welcome anywhere.

Sighing at the thought, Blake spurred her feet back into motion. She was too tired to be angry, but underlying resentment simmered in her chest. With her apartment building up ahead, she was simply grateful to be home. Although, she'd be back at the office before she knew it.

Letting herself into the rundown lobby - the wood floor at one point sparkling and new, but by now nearly worn through from years of watching Faunus lives pass by - she took the single set of stairs to the second floor while rummaging for her keys in her bag. Exiting the staircase, she walked the few steps to her door and stuck the key into the lock. Twisting the handle and key in a perfect unison she learned years ago, the lock unstuck and door swung open to reveal her humble home. It wasn't much, but she didn't need much.

Dropping her bag onto the round dining table that could only comfortably seat three, she grabbed some leftovers from the fridge and reheated them. She'd probably missed a meal or two today, but it was difficult to remember when time passed in the blink of an eye.

Warm food in hand, she grabbed her bag and carried both to the small desk sitting in front of the only window in this section of the apartment. Dropping the bag on the floor by the chair, she sat down and started up her computer to check her emails while eating. No replies yet, but it was still too early to expect a response.

Setting down her food, she leaned over and pulled her phone out of her bag. Finding a small blue light flashing on the front of it, she unlocked the screen and found a missed call from her mom, along with a voice message. Clicking on the message, she took another bite to eat and listened to it play.

"_Hi sweetie, working late again? Give me a call when you're free. Love you."_

Lowering the phone from her ear and staring at the screen, she tried to decide whether or not to call back right away. She didn't want to speak with anyone right now, but if she didn't call soon her mom would worry...

Taking a deep breath, she clicked the redial button and waited. On the third ring, the call picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey Mom, it's me."

"Oh, Blake! I was starting to worry about you."

Blake rolled her eyes at the reply.

"I'm fine, Mom. Just got home from work."

"You _just _got home? Isn't it a little late?"

"I had a lot of things to finish today."

"They know how to keep you busy, don't they? Is everything ok?"

"Things are great." Blake forced a smile with the response so that her tone sounded more uplifted than she felt. "You know how it is - lots to do, so I'm never bored."

"That's great, honey. I know how much you love your job, but make sure to keep a good work-life balance. Get out every once in a while and do something fun. Or, you know, find someone -"

She immediately groaned when she saw where the conversation was headed.

"I'm fine, Mom," she replied with a hint of a whine in her voice. "I don't have time to see anyone right now. At least, not until things at work slow down."

"Well…"

"How's Dad doing?" she cut in before her mom offered to set her up with whatever new Faunus boy had walked into the store that week. She could only imagine how those conversations went…'Why, aren't you handsome? Would you like to date my daughter?'

"Oh you know him," her mom replied with a chuckle. "Always busy with something."

Hearing her dad yell something in the background, Blake smiled. "Glad to hear some things never change. Tell him I say 'hello.'"

"I will. But when are you coming back to see us?"

"Soon," she replied on instinct. "It's a little hard to take time off right now, but I will as soon as I can."

"Ok...we miss you."

"I miss you too." Hearing the vague sadness in her mom's voice, Blake felt a small spike of remorse dig into her chest. "I should go now though. I have some emails to send out."

"Don't work too hard...it's ok to have some fun once in a while."

"I know, I know. I will, promise."

"Good. You take after your father sometimes - always so serious."

Laughing at the comparison, a genuine smile sprang onto her lips.

"Obviously, you're forgetting how much he likes the lawn sprinklers," she replied, and grinned when she heard her mom's laughter. "It's hard to think of him as serious after that."

"He does love those damn things, doesn't he?" her mom asked in return - her teasing smirk practically visible through the phone. "We all need that one thing though - something that makes us smile no matter what."

"Well I don't exactly have a lawn here, so I guess I'll have to find something else I can stare at for hours."

"It doesn't have to be a thing, you know. It could be some_one_ -"

Groaning again, Blake waved her free hand in an effort to make her mom stop. "I get it. You want me to find someone - duly noted. Thanks, Mom."

"I'm just saying, Sweetie - there are plenty of nice Faunus boys who come into the store. Some of them _I_ wouldn't mind staring at for hours -"

"Mom!" Hearing her mom's laugh, Blake tried to temper her embarrassment at the teasing. "Ok, I _really_ should get back to work now, before you decide to overshare some more."

"Just having a little fun," her mom replied, clearly pleased with the turn in the conversation. "We hardly hear from you, after all."

Regret built as a result of the statement. Although that wasn't her mom's intent, Blake knew all too well how sparsely she'd contacted her parents over the past few months.

"I'll be better about that," she promised. "I'll call you soon, ok? Love you."

"Love you too, Blake. Have a good night."

"You too," she replied on autopilot before ending the call and setting her phone on the desk with a sigh.

Her parents thought she was off changing the world with her writing, blissfully unaware that she stopped writing a long time ago. There just weren't enough hours in the day to write _and_ finish the other work thrust upon her plate. If they found some stable advertisers and got back on sound financial footing, maybe she could go back to writing. Until then...there were more pressing concerns.

After checking her emails again (still no responses), she opened the last article she tried to work on and found a partially-written mess with only a vague outline. Skimming the first sentence of each paragraph, she could hardly recall what her purpose was for this piece. What argument was she trying to make?

Staring at the blinking cursor, she couldn't find the willpower to focus her mind on it. All she could do was wonder if any of the emails she sent would make a difference. If there were no responses, what would they do next? There were only so many options when it came to journalism...and unfortunately, almost everything depended on securing advertisers with solid or growing readership.

Giving up on the hopeless task of writing, she closed the article and pulled the other newspapers out to read instead. She read them all, if only to see what stories were out there.

There were two main papers in Vale - The Vale Sentinel and The Vale Independent. They were large companies with giant subscription numbers, which commanded top dollar for advertising space. They competed with each other for readers and probably didn't consider The Vale Voice to be anything of a threat.

Which...it wasn't. With a much smaller staff and budget, The Voice was published only weekly - appearing on newsstands every Saturday morning. It was more of a consolidated news report, covering all of the biggest events from the week and presenting it in a smaller format. Maybe it was a bit delayed in pushing out major news, but most people didn't read the paper until the weekend anyway.

Unfortunately, their status as a Faunus-run company probably hurt them the most.

Hearing the soft 'ding' of an arriving email, she quickly turned away from the article she'd been reading and checked it. But it was only a weekly newsletter - one of the many she subscribed to for companies she followed. After giving it a glance and filing it away, she went back to today's edition of The Vale Sentinel and struggled to figure out what she was doing wrong.

They wrote articles like this - they wrote articles _better_ than this - so why was The Voice failing while these other two companies thrived? The only thing she could think of, the only thing that made them _different_, was the same reason why they had trash thrown at them while they walked home.

Those instances of intolerance only added fuel to her fire. Maybe she wasn't a grand orator who could convince people with a speech or a wealthy billionaire who could buy change, but she could focus on what she was able to do.

She could save The Voice. They could be a tiny beacon of hope for Faunus. But right now, they just needed a little help...


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning arrived like a heavy fog rolling in and hugging every inch of the city in grey. Having stayed up too late the night before in her search for solutions, Blake found the fog had also taken over her mind, leaving her with repeated yawns while she pulled herself together and headed out for work. The chill from the night before still lingered in the early morning air, but it was nothing a good jacket and brisk walk couldn't fight off.

Her route was nearly the same as when she came home in the evening, but her morning routine included a slight deviation - all for a steaming hot cup of tea. The city had yet to fully awaken, which meant the sidewalks were empty as she made her way towards the business sector. It also meant that when she ducked into a small café along her route, she was one of only a few customers inside.

Letting the door fall closed with a jingle of the small bell, she scanned the interior and confirmed there were only Faunus customers at this time - a possum Faunus working on a computer in the far corner while a pair of skunk Faunus conversed softly at a table nearby. Now that she thought about it, she could only remember seeing Faunus customers here…

It was a Faunus-run café, but coffee was coffee. One would think that humans wouldn't be so particular about who handed them their morning cup of caffeine.

Walking over to the register, she smiled at the young canine standing behind the counter, who was currently caught mid-yawn.

"Sorry 'bout that -" he said before yawning again. "These early shifts…"

"Still not used to them?"

"Don't think I'll _ever_ get used to them." Shaking his head, which sent long brown hair rustling in all directions, he gave a dopey grin as only a pup working way too early in the morning could. "But how've you been? Want the usual?"

"Yes, please." Smiling while he set about making her morning tea, filling a cup with boiling water before selecting her preferred flavor, she added, "And I've been ok - work is busy. But how's business here? Looks kind of slow this morning."

"Ah, you know...same as normal, I think. Usually gets busy a little later." Sliding the steaming cup of tea across to her, he took her money and rang up the order while she gave him a curious look.

"I thought with the library opening across the street, I'd see more people here," she explained while accepting her change. "Maybe a human or two."

Chuckling, he shook his head.

"You 'n me both," he said before setting both hands on the counter and shrugging. "But they'd rather go to that other one a few blocks over."

Surprised by the news, Blake briefly considered responding but instead shut her mouth and shook her head. There was nothing she could say that he didn't already know, and that he hadn't already said to himself time and time again.

"Have a good day, Sam," she said instead before exiting the coffee shop with the same soft jingle as when she'd entered.

Even though it wasn't her workplace, the news bothered her. When she saw the library being built across the street, she thought it would be a huge boon to their small business - nothing said 'coffee' like students cramming all day for tests and research papers, after all. But to learn that her prediction hadn't come to pass?

She understood that some humans would rather inconvenience themselves than willingly support a Faunus in any way, shape, or form, but walking blocks out of the way for a cup of coffee that probably didn't taste as good? They always found new ways to disappoint her…

Determined to let that go for now, she raised the cup to her lips and blew through the lid as if that might help it cool off faster. Considering the cup was nearly too hot to hold even through the cardboard sleeve, it was far too hot to drink at the moment - unless she wanted to risk a burned tongue.

Regardless, the warmth seeping through her fingers was comforting. And, as she made her way through the lobby of the building and up the stairs to her office, she was able to take a tiny sip. Sighing in relief at the flavor, she fished her keys from her bag and unlocked the door to The Vale Voice with her free hand. Taking another tentative sip, she reached over and flipped on the lights before heading straight into her office to get to work.

After turning on the computer, she leaned back in her chair and took another sip. If anyone asked what her favorite time of day was, she would say this particular moment - tea in hand, and the inability to work until her computer started. Right now, all she could do was sit here and drink her tea, with her emails and problems briefly locked behind a loading screen.

The moment was short-lived, however. When the machine booted up a few minutes later, she set down her cup and opened her email.

"Good morning, Blake," Victor called through her open office door a little while later. As usual, he wore a tie, which was unnecessary in such a laid back environment but made him look 'distinguished.'

"Morning, Victor," she replied while browsing through her morning emails. Even though she'd been disappointed more than a few times in the past, she couldn't prevent the growing bubble of hope in her chest.

The first few items were junk or spam, and immediately deleted. The next was a reply that sent her hopes even higher, but turned out to be a polite decline based on the proper 'fit' with the company's image. Not exactly what she'd hoped for, but at least they took the time to send a response.

Marking the company off of her master list, she went through the rest of her unread mail and found nothing of interest. So, with the bubble of hope successfully punctured, she leaned back in her chair and sighed.

It was a long shot, but not necessarily a lost cause. There was still a chance that another company would get back to her later today, even later this week. Plus, there were still pages and pages of companies she'd yet to reach out to.

Mildly disappointed at the lack of a miracle, however, she glanced into the office and saw that almost everyone was in now. The day had begun, and she would proceed normally regardless of the early morning letdown. They were all working hard enough already - the last thing she wanted was to burden them with more worries than necessary.

"Hey, Blake!" No sooner had the words reached her ears did Sun slide through the doorway and hop up onto the corner of her desk. "How're you doing?"

"I'm fine, Sun," she answered, hardly giving him a glance while pulling up a copy of Lola's planned articles for the week and printing a short outline of what the next edition would look like.

"Yeah? That's good! So you'll _never_ guess what happened to me last night."

"Did it involve the cops this time?"

Laughing at the question, he grabbed the sheet of paper from the printer and slid it across the desk to her. Her favorite pen was moments behind, saving her from having to find it.

"Thank you," she mumbled, picking up the pen and focusing on the page.

"No problem! And no cops, but it was still a good time. It all started at this fast food place around the corner - all I wanted was an order of curly fries."

While he jabbered away about his night, Blake made small changes to the anticipated layout for the next edition. Over time, she'd become quite adept at drowning him out. Now, she could even add in a few well-timed 'uh huh's and 'wow's without even thinking about it.

Meanwhile, she prepared their week. Unfortunately, her crystal ball seemed to be broken, so there was no telling how the layout might change between now and Friday. New stories popped up out of the blue courtesy of Vale's never-ending penchant for creating headline-worthy news. Whenever an unexpected event sprang to life, they all came together and decided which articles were most important for the current week and which would be tabled for later.

The job demanded quick thinking but also flexibility and willingness to scrap an entire series if the situation called for it. She hated to see it happen, but sometimes she was forced to tell someone that their article would be lost for the week - and potentially forever, depending on the topic.

" - can you believe that?"

"Uh, no - wow," she replied a little late, but Sun seemed blissfully unaware. Using his tail, he swiped the pen from her hand the instant she set down the page she'd sketched out. Dropping it into the penholder on her desk, he grabbed the red one next and dropped it in front of her.

Pulling out the ledger, like she did every Tuesday, she tallied up their expenses from the past week and wrote the negative number in red. Next, she used the black pen (which Sun dropped onto the book as soon as she needed it) to write their income from the most recent issue. Comparing the two values on the page, she sighed and flipped the ledger shut - to be avoided until this time next week.

The idea was for the black number to be _larger _than the red one, not the other way around.

"Now my buddy, he's a bit of an idiot, ya know? I mean, he's a bat so his eyesight is crap, but he acts like he can see anyway -"

While he carried on, a pop-up caught her eye - alerting her to a new email. After curiously opening it up, she felt her heart beat faster as her eyes flew across the screen, unable to believe what she was reading. Once she reached the bottom of the message, she immediately returned to the beginning and read it again - then checked the sender's email address, which looked more legitimate than she could have hoped for.

It was a legitimate expression of interest from a large, well-known company. The sender ended the email proposing a meeting at lunchtime _today,_ due to upcoming travel obligations.

"Sun, I need to work now," Blake said, interrupting whatever he was in the middle of saying. "This is important."

"No problem!" He hopped off her desk and headed out of her office, but didn't leave without giving her one last grin. "How about I tell you the rest over lunch?"

"I have a lunch appointment." Reading the email a third time, she finally drafted a response that meeting at noon would be perfect. After double-checking her spelling and sending it off, she exhaled before standing and walking to the door.

"Velvet," she said before gesturing Velvet over to her. Returning to her office, she paced back and forth behind her desk while waiting for Velvet to walk in. "Close the door."

"What's going on?" Velvet asked, closing the door and taking the single seat across the desk, prompting Blake to sit across from her.

"We're going to have a visitor today." Blake's words fell out in a rush, but she suddenly felt very strapped for time with lunch rapidly approaching. "A prospective advertiser."

Velvet's eyes lit up at the news. "That's great! Who is it?"

"Weiss Schnee," Blake replied, and watched the name register in Velvet's ears with an excited pop.

"Schnee as in...Schnee Industries? As in, the company that owns just about everything in Vale?"

"That's the one." Blake still hardly believed that _that's_ who responded to her email. "She'll be here in a few hours. Can you organize things out there while I print some material to show her?"

"Absolutely. But...what about everyone else? Should we let them know?"

Pausing to consider the options, Blake ultimately shook her head.

"Not yet. It's just a regular day."

"You realize they'll recognize her as soon as she walks in."

"That's fine. If it's unexpected, hopefully they won't have time to think of something stupid to say."

Velvet chuckled while standing up. "You could just send Sun home, you know."

"We'll see," Blake replied, and smiled at Velvet before they both set about their unexpected tasks for the day. Spinning back to her computer, Blake pulled up the charts she'd looked at just yesterday and tried to find pieces of data that were most helpful in pleading their case. For them, that meant pointing out their popularity amongst Faunus readers as a trusted source of news.

To go along with readership values, she collected several writing samples as well as some of the best photographs from the past year. Printing two color copies of each exhibit, she laid a complete set out on her desk and scrutinized them closely, searching for glaring errors as well as a coherent order she could present them in.

Schnee Industries was the largest company in Vale - by far. The company was so large, in fact, that Blake nearly skipped over the entry when sending emails yesterday. 'What are the chances,' she'd thought to herself. 'That such a large company would have any interest in a tiny newspaper?'

But, besides sheer size, there was no obvious reason to exclude Schnee Industries from her all-encompassing search. So the email was sent, and replied to by Weiss Schnee personally.

Maybe, just maybe, Blake could convince Weiss to advertise. Guessing what type of space Schnee Industries might be looking for was difficult but, based on the huge billboards peppering the city streets, countless television spots, and numerous public events named after the company's founders, their marketing budget was basically bottomless. Even if they agreed on a modest run of advertisements, that account alone would keep The Voice running for another six months, at least.

While ordering the pages in a cohesive sequence where one idea flowed easily to the next, Blake felt a seed of doubt growing in her chest. This was a long shot - one of those chances that was worth taking simply because the payoff would be great. But...what type of person was Weiss?

The answer to that question likely had a greater impact on the outcome of this meeting than anything Blake said. If Weiss was open-minded and willing to support a good cause, then The Voice might have a chance of winning her over. If she harbored any prejudice towards Faunus...well, then this meeting was likely a waste of everyone's time.

Noticing another pop-up on her screen, she checked her email and found a confirmation - again sent directly from Weiss' personal address. A simple and concise, "I'll meet you at your office at noon."

With the meeting set, Blake stared at her desk while her mind raced through as many possible questions as she could think of. As much as she wanted to believe that this would go well, the pragmatic side of her knew it was unlikely that someone of Weiss' status was a true Faunus supporter. No one reached such a lofty position without stepping on quite a few backs in the process - Faunus or otherwise.

But Weiss made the effort to reach out - personally, at that. Maybe there was more promise here than what Blake was allowing herself to believe.

Pushing the two identical stacks of paper to the corner of the desk, she picked up one of the many articles Victor had submitted and tried to work. Deadlines or not, he churned out articles at such a quick pace that he could fill his own small paper with them. Most of his pieces never made it to print, whether due to lack of space or lack of relevance, but he sent them for review anyway.

She didn't mind reading his work. Especially since, every once in a while, she uncovered a gem that was both timely and magnificent. And, even when she knew the particular piece would be next in the pile of unpublished articles, she learned a great word or two for her efforts - with the assistance of a dictionary, which she always kept handy.

On a day like today, however, it was incredibly difficult to focus on a heavy political narrative. After reading through the first paragraph three times, and understanding less with each subsequent read, she gave up and filed the page away to be picked up at a later time.

With editing out of the question, she decided that she would look through Velvet's most recent film roll instead. Opening the files on her computer, she studied each photograph closely but still only caught a fraction of what Velvet had found fit to capture.

Having only a moderate understanding of photography, Blake gave Velvet free reign to take whatever photographs she wanted. The two of them became friends because they shared similar hopes and dreams, and a very different medium for bringing about change. For Blake, it was using words - written communication with an attempt to sway thought and opinion. For Velvet, it was using photos - displaying moments that evoked real emotions in the viewers.

Clicking through a series of photographs from the peewee championship game Velvet went to with Sun, Blake couldn't help but feel uplifted from the energy - the happiness of the kids, the nervousness of the parents, the cheers of success whenever something important happened.

Part of her job was looking through the photos for any that could be used for current articles, but today it also served as a distraction to her upcoming meeting. Of course, the closer the clock drew to twelve o'clock, the less she could focus on anything else.

With several minutes to spare, she closed all of the open screens on the computer and picked up the two stacks of paper, only to set them down again. There was no need to go through them another time - by now, she had each page memorized in full. She could probably quote the articles from memory too.

That's when a soft chime rang out across the office. The unexpected sound, which was so rarely used, caught everyone's attention while she took a deep breath and walked to the door of her office. She nodded to Velvet as she did so, giving Velvet silent permission to answer the door.

After doing so, Velvet said a soft "Hello," before standing out of the way and gesturing their guest inside. "Please come in."

"Thank you."

When Weiss stepped through the door, the first thing Blake noticed was that she was much younger than she appeared in photos or news clips. While Blake had assumed Weiss to be her senior, it appeared that they were actually nearly the same age.

"I'm here to see Blake Belladonna," Weiss added, her voice as clear as her striking blue eyes. Taking that as her cue to walk over and extend one hand, Blake smiled while Velvet silently ducked out of the conversation.

"I'm Blake," she said while giving Weiss a quick handshake. "It's nice to meet you…"

Her voice trailed off when she realized she had no idea if Weiss expected to be called 'Miss Schnee.' It seemed like the proper term, albeit slightly uncomfortable seeing as how they were equals - though in age only.

"Please, call me Weiss."

"Weiss. It's nice to meet you," Blake responded, grateful that the question had been answered for her.

"It's nice to meet you too." After a gentle nod, Weiss allowed her gaze to sweep the office in a slow, methodical fashion. It wasn't an overly judgmental expression, but it was clearly...analytical.

While Weiss studied the office, Blake shifted her feet and searched for an appropriate time to speak again. Weiss' presence was more intimidating than Blake had expected, especially for someone of such slim stature. But what Weiss lacked in physical presence she made up for with an aura of control and power, as if she'd just bought the entire building and was observing her new subjects. Maybe it was her perfect posture, or her meticulously-coordinated outfit, or her impeccably-styled white hair...but she appeared impossibly in control of her surroundings.

Examination completed, blue eyes snapped back to Blake and a smile that seemed nothing beyond polite appeared.

"Shall we?"

"Yes. Of course." Blake gestured for Weiss to follow and led them through the rows of desks towards her office. Noticing the expression on Sun's face as he excitedly watched them approach, Blake caught his eye and gave him a stern shake of the head.

At first, he heeded the silent warning. But, as soon as she and Weiss were passing his desk, he spun to the side and blurted out, "You're Weiss Schnee, right?"

While Blake shot him a look of dismay, he grinned at Weiss, who stopped walking and gave him another one of those polite smiles.

"I am. And you are?"

"Oh, I'm Sun! Sun Wukong." Sun stuck out his hand, and his tail did a happy loop when Weiss returned the handshake. "I'm like, your biggest fan!"

Tilting her head, Weiss gave him a curious expression.

"And what, exactly, are you a fan of?"

"Uh, I dunno, your money?"

Quickly nudging Sun out of the way, Blake waved Weiss towards her office. Fortunately, Weiss merely gave him another thoughtful expression before following. After Weiss walked into the office, Blake shut the door and immediately started damage control.

"Sorry about him," she said while heading around the desk and sitting down. "He's just a goofball. I'm sure he didn't mean any offense."

"So his purpose is to serve as office entertainment?"

"He's in charge of athletics," Blake explained with a small smile at the subtle joke. "He's a good writer once he sets his mind to it."

With a soft hum of agreement or acknowledgment, Weiss began another slow analysis of Blake's office - taking it apart piece-by-piece. She might be around Blake's age, but that's where the similarities stopped. Schnee Industries was an enormous conglomerate that grew larger by the day, and the Schnee name was synonymous with wealth in Vale and beyond. One thing was certain - Weiss had never known a need for money. This showed in her confident posture and commanding demeanor - she was used to winning, and winning handily.

"I must apologize for such short notice," Weiss finally said while shifting in her seat. "I'm heading to Atlas this evening and will be gone for the next few weeks."

"Oh, that's fine. Honestly, I'm surprised you're the one who received my email."

"Your message happened to catch the right person's eye," Weiss replied. "Normally, I would have someone from marketing meet with you, but I thought due to the...unconventional...composition of your office, it would be best for me to meet you personally."

The words caught Blake somewhat off guard - implying that Weiss was tactful enough to understand that a normal marketing head might write of The Vale Voice as a dying cause. If she used her own time to make the trip, maybe it wasn't a leap to think that she might not have many negative biases towards Faunus. Or at least, that was the front she projected. With someone so polished, it was difficult to tell her true intentions.

"I appreciate that," Blake replied regardless, but Weiss waved off the gratitude.

"So," she said instead, resting her hands across her lap and giving Blake an attentive gaze. "Why should Schnee Industries advertise in The Vale Voice?"

There it was - the question Blake spent much of her morning ruminating over.

"Well, we're the only Faunus-run paper in Vale. As such, we offer unique viewpoints and access to a different demographic than what you'll find at the other papers. As you can see, our readers are primarily Faunus across all age groups, but concentrated in the most well-educated." While speaking, Blake slid the exhibits across the desk for Weiss to read. After leaning forward and glancing at the front page, Weiss sat back and returned her gaze to Blake.

"I understand you have Faunus readers, but if we were trying to reach Faunus communities, why advertise in the paper when we can throw ads all over television and cover the neighborhoods with billboards?"

"When someone picks up the paper, they're invested in reading it," Blake explained. "The same isn't true for other forms of media. Advertisements in journals and newspapers have a higher recall and retention rate, making them more impactful."

Weiss nodded at the response and, for a second, looked impressed. Almost.

"Yes, but I'm sure the Independent and Sentinel have equal numbers of Faunus readers, as well as a large number of humans. What I want to know is why we should advertise in _this_ paper? Why The Vale Voice? Why this group of writers? Why you?"

Blake had answers to all of those questions, except the last one.

"I don't think you need to consider my merits..."

"But I do," Weiss insisted. "I don't get involved in the day-to-day very often, but when I do, I make an impact. If I wanted to advertise in a paper, I'd advertise in a paper. I could start my own paper and run nothing but our ads, but I don't because that wouldn't be a strategic decision. Who would read such a biased thing? If we buy space, we're not just advertising - we become partners. We're invested. I don't care if it's print, TV, the subway, wherever - it _has _to be something that's known for quality and authenticity. Because that's not just any name up there on those billboards or scrolling across the television screen. That's my name. I won't risk tarnishing it for a few more Faunus eyes. So, why you?"

Briefly at a loss for words, Blake realized that she'd severely underestimated Weiss based on her upbringing. There was nothing spoiled or entitled about her. No, she was very smart. More than smart - she was exceedingly sharp.

"Well...I've been working here for five years now," Blake answered. "I started as one of the junior journalists before becoming a full-time writer. I took over this position when the previous editor-in-chief moved away and have been doing it ever since."

"So you're an editor with a writer's experience," Weiss replied with a nod. "It's impressive that you've been able to accomplish everything you have in such a short time - but what makes you _different_?"

The word made Blake's ears involuntarily twitch.

"I'm a Faunus," she responded, believing that was the answer Weiss was searching for - until she shook her head.

"The city is filled with Faunus. That's not what makes you different."

Indignation brewed in Blake's chest at the response, which couldn't be further from the truth. She'd spent much of her life as an outcast because of one reason, and one reason only. For Weiss to imply differently showed her lack of understanding of what it meant to _be _Faunus.

When Blake didn't respond, however, Weiss straightened the papers in front of her and continued.

"Regardless, we're interested. I just have to question how...dedicated...your staff is."

Almost on cue, Blake watched Sun threw a wad of paper across the room, nearly sticking it to one of Lola's horns before bursting into laughter.

"I assure you that we're dedicated," she answered. Letting out a soft "hmm," Weiss looked down at the papers in front of her and flipped through the sheets before landing on one of Velvet's photographs.

"Here's what I'd like to do," Weiss finally said, her words slow and her expression thoughtful. "I'd like to bring in one of my most trusted employees for a few weeks. Let her work here and see how the operation runs. If, after that time, she gives a thumbs up, you have our business."

"Is she Faunus?" Blake immediately asked, but Weiss' brow furrowed.

"No. Does that matter?"

"The point of The Vale Voice is that it's Faunus-run," Blake explained. "Having humans work here negates that purpose."

"Isn't running advertisements by companies owned by humans equally against that goal?"

"That's a business matter. There aren't enough Faunus-owned and operated businesses for us to survive."

"Then this is also a business matter," Weiss replied while watching Blake closely. "I want you to bring her in, regardless of her race, as a _business_ decision. I can't sign off on advertising here until I hear feedback on how everything is running."

Realizing that Weiss had just backed her into a philosophical corner, Blake carefully thought through her options. On the one hand, she was elated at the _remote_ possibility that they could secure Schnee Industries as an advertiser. On the other hand...who was this person they would let into their office?

"This would be _your_ employee sitting here then," she commented, unable to escape the feeling that it would be similar to having a spy in their midst - a human spy, no less - but Weiss shook her head.

"No, I'd like you to treat her as your own. Have her do whatever tasks you feel she's capable of. If it's not a good fit, then send her home. All I ask is that you give her the chance to observe and potentially help for a few weeks. Nothing more."

It sounded invasive but not onerous from a workload perspective. But having a human in the office...

"If you need time to think about it…" Weiss offered after Blake was silent for a few moments too long.

Under normal circumstances, yes, this was something that needed to be thought about and discussed. But these weren't normal circumstances. If they didn't make progress towards securing another advertiser right away, they might run out of time.

"No." After shaking her head, Blake forced a smile. "We have an agreement."

Weiss' lack of surprise proved one of Blake's thoughts from earlier - that she always expected to win. And with a smile, she stood while Blake followed suit.

"Perfect. I'll send her here tomorrow morning." Reaching down, Weiss picked up the stack of exhibits from the desk and motioned with them. "May I take these with me?"

"Sure," Blake agreed, nodding before following Weiss out of the office and towards the exit. "Thank you for taking the time to meet today."

"The pleasure was all mine." Pausing by the door, Weiss turned and gave Blake a smile - one that looked more friendly and less polished. "I'll be in touch."

With those parting words, Weiss headed towards the staircase and disappeared seconds later. Left in her wake, Blake let the door fall shut and stared at it for several seconds without moving, not even when Velvet appeared by her side.

"What did she say?"

Struggling through the conversation that just happened, Blake ultimately landed on the most important piece.

"Someone will be joining us for a little while," she replied, turning to Velvet and watching confusion bend her long ears.

"Who?"

Blake didn't know who...and how could she explain that she just agreed to let a stranger walk into the office - into their lives?

"Can you get the empty desk ready?" she asked instead. For a second, Velvet looked like she wanted to press the matter, but nodded and headed over to complete her task.

After one last glance at the door, Blake hurried back to her office and did her best to return to work, pretending as if the meeting with Weiss never happened. Towards the end of the day, she received another email - a nibble from another company that sounded moderately interested in a short run of advertisements. Recognizing the name as another Faunus-owned business in the area, she set up a time to meet the owner, Gary, the next day around lunch.

Two meetings in two days...that was more than she'd expected but didn't mean she could rest on her laurels. Even though they had a prospective advertiser with Schnee Industries, she wasn't willing to put all her eggs in one basket. Doing so would jeopardize their future if Weiss decided that The Voice wasn't worth her time. And, realistically, that's just what she might do.

Knowing the harsh truth of reality, Blake ended her day sending out another wave of emails. It wasn't until she was on her way home that she allowed herself to delve into what kind of impression they needed to make on their...visitor.

Dedication. That's the word Weiss used.

Blake knew that all of them were dedicated. Maybe it hadn't shown in such a short meeting, but over the course of a few days it would become clear to anyone. Even a human would be forced to admit it - unless they believed as the general public did, that all Faunus were lazy, unqualified, unintelligent…

Hopefully, Weiss was insightful enough to select someone without clear biases, but Blake wasn't willing to wager on a human she'd never met. She wouldn't wager on a human she _had_ met either.

The idea of a stranger working amongst them didn't sit well with her, but she was even more put off by the idea of pandering to a human in order to win ad dollars. That went against everything she stood for. So, there would be no announcement letting everyone know about the deal that had been made. No, she trusted her co-workers to prove their worth without her pushing them too hard. She would tell them individually when appropriate or when they asked, but she wouldn't make it into a huge ordeal.

Some of them would be unhappy with this recent development...most of all Brand. Thankfully, he was out for the next few days, and the rest of them would deal with the situation the best they could. If there was one thing all Faunus were skilled at, it was learning how to deal with situations that somehow uniquely applied to them, and them alone.


	3. Chapter 3

It would be a lie to say Blake wasn't anxious the next morning, as she rushed to the office earlier than usual. She even skipped her morning tea in favor of ensuring she was the first person to arrive, which made her one of the few lonely souls walking the deserted paths to work.

After forcing a 'normal' end to her workday the day before, her evening had been filled with a slew of questions, fears, and worries. Then she hardly slept while battling back and forth on whether or not her agreement with Weiss was a good idea. They needed the advertising dollars, but how much stress would having a human in the office cause? Would it be worth it in the end?

It felt like a gamble and, realistically, if she didn't feel like they were running out of options, she never would have agreed. But they _were_ running out of options, which meant she needed to accept more risks than she would have before. If nothing else, this was an option - a potential bandage they so desperately needed.

At least Weiss made one concession that put Blake more at ease - if it wasn't working, they could tell whoever it was to go home. Doing so might jeopardize their ultimate objective, but Weiss seemed reasonable enough not to hold an ill fit against them. And what human would fit well in an office of Faunus?

Hurrying up the staircase and realizing just how early she was, Blake wished that she'd stopped for her tea after all. A nice, warm cup of tea would work wonders in calming her nerves right now. Instead, her hand jittered with energy while she struggled to unlock the office.

Once she pushed the door open and turned on the lights, she paused and examined the room in front of her. What would it look like to someone who'd never been here before? What did this small space say about them as individuals and as a team?

Professional journalists or just a regular office - it was difficult for Blake to gauge. To her, this was just...work. Her second home. The place where she felt accepted and even respected for who and what she was.

Walking between the two rows of desks, she looked at each one in turn. Sun's was covered in stray pieces of paper. She never understood how he worked in such a mess, but somehow he never missed a deadline. Brand's desk was cleared off since he was on vacation, leaving only his personal effects in view - several small, framed photographs of his family. A giant dictionary was the primary resident of Victor's desk, and just seeing it offered some measure of reassurance considering Blake's need to pull out her own whenever editing his articles. Various fashion and entertainment magazines were stacked on the edge of Lola's, while a half-written article lay across the keyboard. Velvet's was likely the neatest, with a camera case tucked underneath the desk and a stack of loose photographs sitting by the computer.

Walking over to Velvet's desk, Blake picked up the pictures and slowly flipped through them. It looked like Velvet had taken a walk through the park near the heart of downtown - not on any specific assignment, but simply to find moments worth viewing over and over again. Each photo captured a unique theme, whether that be the weather, bits of nature, or the dynamics of any relationship she found intriguing. Each photo was, in itself, worth more than a thousand words, if only Blake had the time to write them.

They would go uncaptioned for now, but Blake saw the story in each of them. She saw exactly what thoughts or emotions Velvet hoped to convey, as if the words hid amongst the tree trunks and park benches.

Returning the photographs to their original order and placing them carefully on the desk, Blake shook her head and felt sadness sting at her heart. They were blessed with one of the best photographers in all of Remnant - of that, she was certain. If only people gave Velvet the credit she deserved...but she'd had the misfortune of being born a member of the wrong race.

Blake sighed at the thought before willingly leaving it and Velvet's photos behind in favor of moving across the aisle to the empty desk - although it wasn't so empty anymore. Next to the keyboard was a neat stack of new materials: a spiral notebook, a notepad, and several pens placed on top.

The desk was once occupied by Petra, a wise old porcupine who was as prickly as he was witty. After he retired, which had been some time ago now, they never filled the spot. Lack of funding had begun to show at that point and, instead of bringing on a new journalist, those who remained simply...worked harder.

After taking one last look around, Blake headed to her own desk and discovered that she was giving Sun a run for his money in the 'messiest desk' competition. In her defense...well, she had no defense. Five stacks of paper had been left out overnight - each created for a specific task that had yet to be completed. Each was a project she kept telling herself she would get to 'when she had time.' The problem with that philosophy was, quite simply, that she never had time.

Sitting down another sigh, she turned on the computer and patiently waited for the system to boot up - wishing now more than ever that she'd made her stop for a morning tea. Fortunately, the feeling disappeared when her computer was ready to use, allowing her to work instead of focusing on her lack of a warm, calming beverage.

One of her emails was from Lola, containing both her and Brand's articles for the week. After printing copies for herself, Blake set them front and center on her desk to be edited today. Next, she found that Victor had sent in three new articles to go along with the ones he already submitted, which she printed and added (to the bottom) of her growing stack.

Sun would most likely personally deliver his rough drafts tomorrow, seeing as how that baseball game wasn't until tonight. Velvet would also have a couple of articles, then she and Blake would decide which article and photograph would be used for the cover.

"Good morning, Blake."

"Good morning, Lola," she replied while hardly turning away from the email she was typing. Recognizing that the workday had begun, she glanced towards the door every few seconds while waiting for Weiss' employee to arrive. Would they be early? Late? Right on time?

When the door opened next, Blake's heart jumped - only to fall back in place when it was only Velvet and Victor walking in, the two of them chatting softly before separating towards their desks. Catching Blake's gaze, Velvet gestured one ear towards the desk beside her. When Blake raised both hands to show that she had no idea when they would arrive, Velvet nodded and got to work.

With the moment of truth nearly upon them, Blake tapped her fingers on her desk and debated whether or not to start editing only to be interrupted midway through. That decision was made for her when the door opened (giving her another mini heart attack), and Sun bounded in with a smile.

If there was one person who might hurt their chances of winning Weiss over, it was Sun - although that thought felt too harsh considering what Blake knew about him. He stuck around this long for a reason, and it wasn't for Blake - even though that was the answer he would undoubtedly give. He wanted the world to be a better place too, and he was trying to help them get there. But he believed in having a good time in the process - something Blake had never been able to emulate.

He was as dedicated as the rest of them, even though it might not appear that way. The last thing Blake wanted was to ask him to change, but she also hated the idea of a stranger judging him incorrectly.

Coming to a decision, she walked to the door of her office while he dumped his bag onto the desk in front of her.

"Hey Sun." After capturing his attention, she motioned him over to her. "Can we talk for a second?"

"Sure!" With a huge smile, he jogged into her office and leaned against the chair in front of her desk. "What's up? Free tonight?"

"Still busy," she answered before lowering her voice so as not to be overheard. In an office of Faunus, that was basically an impossible task, but she did so anyway. "I have a small favor to ask...we're going to have a visitor in the office for a little while. Do you think you can be on your best behavior?"

"Of course! Anything for you." When he lowered his voice and winked, she rolled her eyes.

"Thank you. You don't have to do too much, just...tone it down a little?"

"Pfft...tone it down? Blake, you _know_ I'm always trying to tone _up!_" When he grinned and flexed his biceps, she shook her head.

"Ok, got it -" After quickly ruffling his perpetually-ruffled hair, he gave her a thumbs up. "_That's_ what I should 'tone down.'"

"Only for a few weeks," she assured him. "As soon as they're gone, you can go back to…'toning up,' as much as you want."

From his blinding grin, that permission was music to his ears. As Blake was about to add an addendum, however, she picked up a feeling that was out of place - a disturbance that was difficult to put her finger on until she turned back to the office.

Everyone was here, yet someone new had just walked through the door.

"Um...hi!"

Listening intently, Blake watched their new arrival catch Velvet's attention.

"Am I in the right place?" the girl asked. "This is The Vale Voice, right?"

"Uh, wow."

Sun's summation was pretty appropriate. Weiss' 'trusted employee' was something of a looker - tall, blonde, with a model's physique and a model's wardrobe.

"Is _that_ who you want me to be on my best behavior for?" Sun asked, still gawking through the open office door while Velvet shook the girl's hand. "Cuz I can totally...do...that…"

"Get back to work," Blake said while nudging him out of his nearly-drooling trance. She didn't want to make a bigger deal of this than it was. So when Sun flew right over to the girl to introduce himself, Blake shook her head and sighed. While he talked, however, she watched the rest of the office for their reactions.

Sun was elated, as evidenced by his cheshire-cat grin. Velvet was surprised but almost pleasantly so. It was Victor and Lola who stared in shock - hopefully pure surprise and not agitation.

Still talking animatedly, with the new girl listening with a smile, Sun looked like he would stand there forever had Velvet not cut in and said a few words before pointing the girl towards Blake's office. After briefly making eye contact, the new girl headed that way, and Blake moved behind her desk while mentally preparing herself for the impending introduction.

She wasn't willing to sacrifice who they were or what they represented, but she could be cordial.

"Uh, hey!"

Upon catching the new girl's eyes - a vivid, unforgettable shade of lilac - Blake put on a pleasant smile and waved her into the room.

"Come on in," Blake added, keeping her desk between them as the girl walked right up to it and extended her hand.

"I'm Yang."

"Blake," she replied while shaking Yang's hand. As soon as Blake let go, Yang clasped her hands in front of her as if she wasn't entirely sure what to do with them.

"Weiss sent me over. Said you guys could use a hand." A spike of indignation shot through Blake's veins at the insinuation that they needed help with their daily work, but Yang continued unaware. "Sorry I'm late. This place is kinda off the beaten path. Got lost a few times."

"I'm glad you made it safely. I can write down directions if you need them."

"I think I've got it now, but thanks for the offer." Yang grinned before sweeping her eyes around the office. "So you're in charge here? I'm guessin' since you're the only one with an office."

"Yes, I'm the editor-in-chief, accountant, marketing department, babysitter, all of the above." Blake felt tired just thinking about the many responsibilities that belonged to her and her alone.

"Woah, sounds like you could use some extra help."

"Unfortunately, there's no money for that," she answered honestly. "That's why you're here. But Weiss didn't give me any of your information - which newspaper did you work at before?"

"Uh, none of them." When Yang shook her head, Blake raised her brow.

"None? Then what's your experience in print journalism?"

"Do you count reading the paper every once in a while? Otherwise, no."

"What about advertising?"

"Nope."

Yang's answers left Blake feeling miffed...and more than a little annoyed.

"How are you supposed to evaluate our abilities if you have no experience in this industry?" she asked, mostly rhetorically.

"'Evaluate' you? Weiss asked me to come over and help you guys with whatever you need. I'm just supposed to tell her how it goes."

Having no idea how to respond, nothing more than a scoff slipped through Blake's lips. This wasn't at all what she'd expected. She thought Weiss would send some seasoned veteran of the journalism world who would immediately find a hundred things they were doing wrong, not...a complete novice. _More_ than a complete novice - someone who probably had no right to be in any type of news environment.

"What are you supposed to help with then?" she asked, but Yang shrugged.

"I thought you'd tell me. Whatever you need me to do, I'll do it. I'm more than happy to help with anything."

Still dismayed, Blake studied Yang closely. Her words, tone, demeanor, _everything _seemed genuine...

"You can shadow some of the other writers today," Blake finally said, unable to come up with anything better at the moment. "Get an idea of how things work. Victor can show you how to set up the computer."

"Cool. I can do that," Yang said with another big grin and nod. She was chipper. Very chipper. Of course, what didn't she have to be happy about? She'd won the genetic lottery.

"Ok, then…" Blake said with a nod towards the door. Taking the hint, Yang backed out of the office.

"It was nice meeting you," she added before leaving.

"You too," Blake replied before sitting down and turning her attention back to her work. Once she heard the door close, she looked up and watched Yang introduce herself to Victor and Lola.

She _seemed_ friendly. Time would tell how real that friendliness was.

But Blake refused to pander to her. If they were going to win Schnee Industries' business, it would be by remaining true to who they were. If Yang spent time here and found flaws in their process, then so be it. How she would find flaws when she had no experience in journalism...Blake had no idea. In the meantime, she would keep searching for other companies to fill the spaces in their pages.

Pulling the first article off of her stack of editing, she did her best to focus on the words but found it difficult when Yang's voice drew so much of her attention. Whenever Yang laughed, especially, Blake looked up to see what was going on, and often found Sun making another attempt at conversation.

The 'newness' made it difficult to concentrate, but hopefully the effect dissipated as Blake's oversensitive ears grew accustomed to Yang's voice. That probably wouldn't happen before Yang left, however, so she needed to figure out a way to work in the meantime.

No experience though? Zero?

Assuming Weiss would send a veteran to critique them was Blake's mistake. Looking back on it, Weiss only said it was someone she trusted, which Blake assumed meant someone qualified.

It was another challenge, but she was confident they would overcome it. In fact, as the morning progressed, the day reverted back to a normal frequency - albeit a normal frequency punctuated by a new voice. While she eventually made it through the first article (in nearly twice the time it normally took), she could tell that the tone of the office was...off.

What a difference one human could make…

In the midst of the next article, she willingly put down her pen when there was a soft knock at her door. After waving Lola inside, she watched the slim woman slide through the doorway before quietly pressing the door shut behind her.

"Um, Blake…" she began, her voice soft and uncertain as she sat on the other side of the desk.

"Yes?"

After glancing around the office as if they might not be alone, Lola turned back to Blake with a concerned gaze.

"If you don't mind me asking...what's a human doing here?"

Sighing at the question, Blake pushed her chair away from her desk and rubbed her eyes. Lola was many years Blake's senior but had always been respectful and kind. She wasn't prone to disagreement, but as one of the elder members of the staff, she deserved an explanation for their uncomfortable situation.

"It's part of an agreement I made with Weiss," Blake explained. "Weiss will advertise in The Voice, but only if she's confident in how we operate first. Yang's only here to see what we're doing on a day-to-day basis."

Left out was that Weiss questioned their dedication and intensity, but there was no reason for Lola to know that.

"Schnee Industries?" Lola replied, her expression brightening substantially. "That would be wonderful! But...you know Brand won't like this…"

"I know...and I'll talk to him when he gets back. I'm sure he'll be ok once he understands the circumstances." Pausing for a second, Blake gave Lola a curious glance. "What about you though? Are you alright with this?"

Any concern Blake had melted away when Lola smiled and shook those floppy ears on her head.

"Oh, she seems like a lovely girl. And I have more than a few questions I want to ask about her fashion." Shaking her head again, Lola sent Blake a timid smile. "It's a bit harder to keep up with the times as you get older. We all get stuck in our ways."

Blake smiled and nodded at the admission, even though she only understood in theory.

Even in her older years, Lola was quite pretty, and it was easy to imagine that she'd been stunning as a young woman. Based on her interest in entertainment and the latest fashion, Yang's well-coordinated outfit was certain to pique her curiosity - a commonality they could talk about.

"I'm glad you're ok with it," Blake eventually sighed in relief.

"It's fine. I'm just concerned about the big bear's reaction."

"You and me both." But Brand would be back from vacation next week, which gave Blake a few days to figure out what to say to him. "In the meantime, maybe Yang can help you with the research for your article?" she suggested. "I'm sure she can figure out how to run a basic search and find some data."

"Oh, that's a good idea!" Nodding at the suggestion, Lola stood up and smiled. "I'll ask her to help with that. Thank you, Blake."

"Anytime."

Blake's relief only grew when Lola walked over to Yang and presented the small task. At least one person would make it through this trial with little difficulty. Well, Lola and Sun both seemed to be adjusting to the change quickly, so that was two out of five.

Before she even attempted to return to work, however, Velvet caught her gaze and ducked into the office seconds later.

"How's it going out there?" Blake asked, watching Velvet's ears as much as her eyes for answers.

"I think it's going fine. I was talking to Yang. She seems...very sweet."

"And has no idea what she's doing?"

"Maybe just a little bit."

Blake sighed at the response and sank into her chair.

"What am I supposed to do with her?" she asked while waving towards the window. "It's not enough that Weiss sent a human - she sent a human with zero experience! I didn't realize we were running a daycare..."

"Is it really that bad?" Velvet asked, unperturbed by Blake's complaints. "Would you rather have someone with experience, who has their own way of doing things? Or someone who doesn't have anything to compare us to, who seems willing to learn _our_ ways?"

After thinking through those questions, Blake sighed again.

"How are you always so convincing?"

"Let's just give her a chance," Velvet replied with a small smile but avoided the compliment out of modesty. "She seems eager to learn what we do."

"Fine. But since she has no experience, she's an observer. If she does anything, make sure it's something she can't screw up - like making copies. Not that she seems capable of much more..." Blake glanced at Yang, with those perfect waves of golden hair and that perfectly coordinated outfit, and rolled her eyes. "Most trusted employee…" she muttered to herself. "What a joke."

Was it a joke? Was this all a practical joke that Weiss was playing on them? Blake would actually believe it if Weiss seemed even remotely interested in playing an elaborate prank on a group of strangers. But the polished, polite demeanor suggested that she would never be caught partaking in such a childish endeavor.

So she intended to send Yang here. The only question was...why? Maybe it was a case of 'over promise, under deliver.' Or maybe the person she actually wanted to send wasn't available.

Whatever the reason, Yang was here now, and they needed to deal with it.

Hearing an unfamiliar laugh break through the office, Blake immediately turned towards Yang and found her chatting with Victor while he set up the computer.

"Can you do me a favor?" she asked without moving her gaze. "Can you be my ears?"

"Aren't I always?"

Turning back to Velvet, Blake gave a grateful smile.

"I know this is an unexpected change, but it's just another challenge we need to get through."

"We'll be fine," Velvet replied, and smiled when one of Victor's rolling 'whowhowhoo' laughs filled the office. "You don't need to worry about him, at least. She told him he was the most intelligent-looking man she's ever met."

Blake huffed in amusement at the knowledge. "Played her cards right there, didn't she?"

"Absolutely. Are _you_ going to be ok with this though?"

"Of course. It won't be for long. I can deal." At this point, she would do just about anything to get The Voice back on firm footing, even if that meant allowing a human into her space for a few days.

"Just checking. You know you can be a little…"

"A little what?" she asked, her brow furrowed when she looked at Velvet.

"You know..._protective._"

Protective...that was a good word for it. Defensive, possessive - The Voice was her safe place and had been for quite some time. She didn't want that to change, even in the midst of this turmoil.

"I just don't want us to lose who we are," she admitted, receiving a nod from Velvet that made her feel more assured in her wishes. Then the door opened again, and Sun rushed into the office before shutting it behind him.

"Hey, so...I know you set up the empty desk for Yang, but I was thinking she could sit next to me!" When he gave a hopeful smile, Blake stared at him in disbelief.

"Brand sits next to you."

"Yeah, but he's not here today, and I can move his stuff. Please? I mean, I think I'd be the best one to show her the ropes!"

Blake looked at Velvet, who smiled and shrugged, before turning back to Sun. "No," she said, picking up her pen as if she might start working even though she knew the conversation wasn't over.

"Aww...but Blake, I'll make a good impression - I swear!" He then tapped Velvet's shoulder and gestured towards Blake. "You think I'd be the best one to show Yang the ropes, right? I mean, they're _ropes_. Who'd know some ropes better than me?"

When Blake and Velvet both laughed, Sun looked back and forth with a grin, still hopeful he'd get his way.

"I'm still going to say no," Blake answered, "If Brand shows up Monday and a human's taken his desk, he'll have to write his own crime article before going to prison."

Sun's eyes widened in realization, and his next smile was sheepish.

"Uh...heh, yeah, bad idea," he chuckled while backing to the door. "This is why you make the big bucks!"

Laughing again, this time at the idea that she made anything _close_ to 'big bucks,' Blake shared a knowing look with Velvet while Velvet followed Sun back to their desks.

Victor and Lola were working now. Sun reluctantly went back to his computer and put on a pair of headphones. Velvet stopped and said a few words to Yang before heading back to her own desk. And Yang caught Blake's gaze and smiled before going back to clicking around on the computer, likely figuring out where everything was or working on Lola's task.

They'd made it through the morning and no one was demanding that Blake throw Yang out. That was a good start, as far as she was concerned. After checking the time, she pushed aside her editing and pulled up the materials she needed for her potential advertiser meeting today.

She would use the same set of articles she printed for Weiss yesterday, which made preparation easier. Plus, she'd worked with Gary in the past so was at least on familiar terms with him. His family owned a construction business specializing in realistic habitats for Faunus. Some of their work was incredible, such as the authentic jungle they built into a house for a jaguar Faunus.

Faunus supporting Faunus - that's the way it had always been. That's the way it _needed_ to be for them to have any hope of survival. Now, if only they could convince a few humans to feel the same…

Since Gary's business targeted other Faunus, and considering that he'd advertised in The Voice several times in the past, the meeting today should be more of a formality than anything else. The only problem was that their marketing budget was quite small: they only placed a short run of advertisements during the slow season or when funds became available.

But business was business. A few advertisements were better than none at all.

With her materials ready if she needed them, Blake thought through how the conversation might go. It was at that exact moment that her concentration was again shattered by an unfamiliar voice. Finding Yang looking at something on Lola's screen and conversing about whatever it was, Blake's concern rose.

What impression would they make if Gary came in and found a human working here? The Vale Voice was supposed to be a _Faunus_ publication. Sure, Blake could explain the circumstances, but could she do that without raising suspicion that The Voice was on uneven footing?

Mulling the situation over in her mind, she watched Yang return to her desk and Sun race right over to talk. Coming to a decision then, she stood and headed out to join them.

"And _then_ you write the rough, rough, _rough_ draft -" he was saying, perched on the edge of Yang's desk while she listened with an amused smile in place.

"Sun -" Blake interrupted, cutting off his chatter and waving him back to his desk.

"Right. Got it." Hopping down, he grinned and set off for his seat, leaving Blake and Yang alone.

"I wanted to let you know that I have a meeting with a prospective advertiser," Blake began. "It's in a few hours."

"Oh, that's great! I'm guessing more ads are a good thing."

"Very good." Briefly pausing while Yang looked up at her, it took several seconds for Blake to find the words she wanted to say. "I was hoping you could take a break for lunch around that time."

"Uh...you mean, you want me to leave?"

"Only for an hour or so," Blake quickly explained. "It's a Faunus-owned company, and I just don't want them to get the wrong impression."

Again, it took several moments for the words to sink in - long enough that a kernel of agitation grew in Blake's chest. Why was this so difficult to understand? But understanding eventually dawned, and Yang slowly nodded.

"Right. Got it. I'll disappear around that time."

"Only for an hour, tops," Blake added, but Yang waved one hand.

"Don't worry about it. I'll ask someone to tell me when it's ok to come back."

Blake couldn't understand why, but it felt like that just went horribly wrong. And it felt like she needed to say something to smooth over the situation, but that didn't make any sense. It wasn't too much to ask Yang to step out so as not to scare away a Faunus looking for Faunus advertising.

"Ok," she said while backing away. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Biting her lip, Blake caught Velvet's gaze - which also suggested that the conversation could have gone better - before hurrying back to her office. Was that an inappropriate request? She didn't think so, but it didn't matter now. She asked, and Yang agreed. The issue was resolved.

Regardless, when Yang got up to leave a little while later, Blake felt a small pang of guilt. That feeling only mildly abated when Sun shot out of his seat and headed out the door with Yang.

She _wasn't_ a member of their office. Why would she expect to be portrayed as such? She'd literally only been here for a few hours, and it was important to put on their best showing for a potential advertiser, which meant -

Giving up her internal argument, Blake shook her head and shuffled through her papers yet again. Hearing the doorbell ring several minutes later, she headed out of her office and motioned to Velvet that she would get it. After pulling open the door, she smiled upon seeing a familiar face.

"Hi Gary," she greeted him while gesturing inside. "It's nice to see you again."

"It's nice to see you too, Blake," Gary replied - the 'c' in 'nice' coming out with an audible whistle through his large front teeth. "Thanks for taking the time to meet with me."

In the back of her mind, Blake wondered how often Gary had been made fun of for that whistle, which happened with every 's' sound he spoke. She hoped not at all but knew better than that.

It was another shame. Gary and his family were some of the most ingenious builders in the world - who cared if they whistled when they spoke? That was part of being a beaver.

"No problem at all. Let's sit down so we can go over what you need."

After leading Gary to her office, she closed the door and sat across from him. Compared to yesterday, with Weiss sitting on the other side of the desk, Blake felt far more comfortable and assured in how the conversation would go.

"You know, my mom's been reading The Vale Voice for decades now," Gary said while resituating in the chair. "Probably since before you were born."

"Is that so? It's nice to hear we have such loyal readers."

"Oh you do. She used to make me get her copy every Saturday morning." He laughed at the memory and shook his head. "I hated doing it, even though it was right down the drive. Definitely proved that whole 'eager beaver' thing wrong."

Blake smiled at the idea of younger Gary dragging himself down the driveway, his flat tail trailing behind his back, while collecting a copy of The Vale Voice.

"Times have changed since then," he continued, briefly showing that expression of broken longing all Faunus had perfected by his age. "But Mom still reads her copy of The Voice every weekend."

"Who gets it for her now?" Blake asked, and the question made him chuckle.

"She gets it herself! She always could - she just didn't want to. Too focused on 'building my character.'"

Blake had met his mother just once, but that sounded exactly like something she would do.

"Building character _and _building houses," Blake pointed out.

"I'd rather focus on the houses," he mumbled before smiling. "But about your email - it came at the perfect time. We've been thinking of running a promotion to boost sales. It's the slow season right now."

"That sounds like a great time to run an ad." Pulling over a notepad and a pen, she prepared to write a few notes. "How long is your promotion going to run?"

"Ten weeks - think we should post an ad for the same time?"

"That's exactly what I was thinking," she replied, before checking the date and counting out ten weeks. "If we can get the layout finished in the next couple days, we can print the first one this weekend."

"That sounds like a good plan." Pausing, he looked down at his hands before turning back to her. "We don't have a huge budget for advertising, you know. My folks always believed word of mouth was the best way to grow. But, in terms of pricing, well, is it about what we spent last time?"

Taking in his hesitant smile and the way his hands curled around the hem of his shirt, Blake nodded.

"Exactly the same as last time - will that work?" When his worries disappeared, she smiled.

"Wonderful - just wonderful," he replied, his expression filled with relief. "We have a lad who helps us out now, since my dad's hip has been acting up again, you see. Anyway, he said he could help with any marketing stuff. Can I send him over to work out the details?"

"Sure. I'll meet with him anytime."

"Great. Thank you, Blake. I really appreciate it." Standing up, Gary reached over to shake her hand, bowing his head as if she'd just done him a huge favor.

Maybe she had. The price they paid for their last set of advertisements had already been discounted due to their financial struggles, and it was only for eight weeks. But Faunus helping Faunus - it was a two-way street.

"Don't mention it," she assured him, shaking his hand then leading him back through the office. "Tell your parents I say 'hello.'"

"Of course! They'll be happy to hear from you." With a big grin, Gary leaned close and said, "Keep up the good work," before waving and heading to the staircase. When he was gone, she headed back to her office with her mind already running through the numbers.

Even at the reduced price, the money helped. It wouldn't solve any problems, but it temporarily slowed the bleeding. It might even buy them a little time. And, hopefully, the exposure would send some business Gary's way. He and his family were kind, hard-working people, but also a reminder that The Voice didn't own a monopoly on struggle.

Sitting at her desk, she pulled up a copy of Gary's previous invoice to double-check the value before copying it into a new one. She sent that over to him right away, then pulled out the tentative outline for this week's issue and picked out the best place for their new advertisement to go.

Once that was finished, she finally returned to her editing, but not without sneaking a glance at the office and finding that everyone was back from lunch. Her eyes immediately sought out Yang, who held a piece of paper out for Lola to read and gestured towards it with a pen.

To an outside observer, it looked like they worked well together. And, thankfully, it didn't seem like Yang was at all perturbed about Blake asking her to leave for lunch. Or, if she was, she wasn't behaving as such.

Shaking that worry from her mind, Blake did her best to shut out all distractions and focus solely on editing the stack of articles in front of her. By the time she made it through two of them, Victor had snuck out for the day, likely having an afternoon engagement elsewhere. Over the next two articles, both Lola and Sun went on their way - with Sun sending Blake a quick "See ya tomorrow!" on his way out. She missed Velvet's exit entirely, as the next time she looked up only Yang was left in the office.

Tired and realizing that she forgot to eat lunch, Blake went back to work and waited for Yang to leave.

And waited. And waited.

Just about when Blake considered asking Yang what she was doing, she finally started gathering her belongings. When she stood up, Blake expected her to leave - instead, she walked over to Blake's door and gave it a soft knock before poking her head inside.

"Hey, do you always stay so late?"

Dropping her pen on the desk, Blake looked at the time and sighed.

"Depends on the day, but yes, usually."

"Ah, I see...is it ok if I go now?"

"Of course." After Blake gave permission, Yang smiled but didn't turn away. Instead, she glanced at the paper on the desk and took a step closer.

"What're you working on?"

"I'm editing the articles for this week," Blake explained, spinning the paper around and sliding it across the desk so Yang could see the edits written in the margins.

"That's cool. What's it about?"

"It's discussing some of Vale's most sordid laws for hiring practices."

"Oh," with a soft chuckle, Yang passed the article back to Blake. "You mean like how they advertise for a 'brand marketer' when they really just want you to stand outside holding a sign all day?"

"No…I mean how it's legal to discriminate against Faunus job applicants - to not hire them, or even _consider_ hiring them, based on nothing more than appearance. You know that box you check on a job application - the one that says 'human?' Well, when we check the other box, an employer can legally put that application in the trash."

Glancing at Victor's work, which was too Faunus-centric to make it into The Voice, Blake frowned. He always made such good points - points that made her heart burn with injustice.

"But I wouldn't expect you to understand that," she added. When Yang was silent for several seconds, Blake looked up and found a mix of emotions in her lilac eyes.

"Yeah…" Yang finally replied with a slow nod. "Yeah, I guess I can't imagine what it's like for someone to judge my intelligence based solely on my appearance. I mean, blondes are usually seen as super smart, right?"

Internally, Blake flinched at the reply, which planted a seed of guilt in her chest when it reminded her of the copier comment she made to Velvet earlier. She hadn't meant to be so dismissive, and only now realized that what Yang initially said had been a joke.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

"Then how did you mean it?" The question seemed to be rhetorical, or at least Blake hoped it was because she didn't have an answer. Yang seemed to understand as much, as she smiled and backed away from the desk.

"Anyway, I'll leave you to it. Have a good night."

Watching Yang leave, Blake waited until the outer office door closed before sighing and putting her head in her hands. That certainly hadn't been the best impression, but she couldn't take back the words now. She shouldn't have said anything. She should have just explained reality and left it at that - not gone out of her way to relate it to Yang's life.

Sending one last look at Victor's article and wishing it had a place, she sighed again and packed up her bag to head home. She needed to eat something, then could edit more before going to sleep. Hopefully, tomorrow would be a better day. Although, history didn't seem to be on her side...


	4. Chapter 4

In an effort to trick herself into normalcy, Blake forced herself to follow her morning routine. Today, unlike yesterday, there would be no rushing to the office, no overanalysis of the day to come, and _no_ skipping her morning tea.

In her defense (a side she took more often than not), The Voice hadn't welcomed a new employee in a long time. Sun was actually the newest, and he was going on his fourth year. So, of course her mind was preoccupied with someone new, and even more so because of the circumstances.

Leaving her apartment only a few minutes early, she pulled the door shut with enough force to close it on the first attempt. Yanking it towards her at the same time she turned the key in the lock, the deadbolt slid into place and she huffed out a breath before heading to work.

As if she needed more reasons to stop at the coffee shop, the weather supplied another. The morning air had a bite to it which would go perfectly with a nice, steaming hot beverage in her hands. Plus, she needed _something_ to be the same, and she knew that her peach tea would taste the same as it always did.

As luck would have it, there was no line, so she walked right up to the register.

"Good morning, Sam," she greeted her favorite canine barista, who yawned on cue.

"Morning, Blake!" he replied with a happy grin and excited eyes. "The usual?"

"Yes, please." When she set out her money, he grabbed it off the counter and ran the register.

"Anything new going on?" he asked while handing over her change and moving over to brew the tea.

Her initial response to the question was a shake of her head, but then she remembered that there _was_ something new in her life. Something very new, and something he would likely commiserate with her about.

"We have a new employee at work," she replied. "A human."

"Oh." While snapping a lid onto the cup, Sam made a face. "Can't get away from them, can you?"

While accepting the cup from him, Blake felt her mouth twitch up with validation.

"It's only temporarily, thankfully."

"Then at least you have something to look forward to," he pointed out with a big, toothy smile.

"That, and this tea - thank you."

With a wave and smile, she headed on her way. After opening the coffeehouse door with one shoulder, she silently rejoiced in the brisk morning air now that she had her tea. Lifting the warm cup to her nose, she smelled the delicious aroma of peach and smiled. Today was already off to a better start than yesterday.

After taking a few tentative sips fueled by impatience, she reluctantly waited until she made it into the lobby before taking her first real drink and sighing in content. Making her way up to the office while digging for her keys in her bag, she stepped out of the stairwell only to be surprised by the sight in front of her.

Sitting on the floor, with her back pressed against the wall, was Yang.

"Good morning?" Blake asked as confusion budded in her chest, the question drawing Yang's attention away from her phone.

"Oh, morning!" Quickly pushing herself to her feet, Yang gave a winning smile that Blake returned with curiosity.

"Is there a reason you're sitting in the hall?"

"Oh, uh, no one gave me a key." With her smile growing quite sheepish, Yang ran a hand through her hair and looked very much like she considered this to be her fault. "I thought you'd all get here super early, and...I didn't want to be late two days in a row."

Realizing the mistake, Blake moved past Yang, unlocked the door, and turned on the lights just inside.

"Most of them work from home and come in later," she explained while Yang followed her into the office. "It's one of the perks of the job. And I'm sorry about the oversight on a key - I'll have a copy made for you today."

"It's ok. You don't have to give me a key yet. I'm the new kid - gotta earn it, ya know?"

"'Earn' a key to the office?" Blake repeated while giving Yang another confused look.

"Well, that," Yang replied with a soft laugh. "But also, your trust. I still have to earn your trust."

Unsure of how to respond, since 'that's true' might be rather inconsiderate to say out loud, Blake turned her attention to Yang's desk and found several pages of notes stacked in one corner.

"Do you need anything to work on?" she asked in an effort to change the subject.

"Uh, well, right now I'm helping Lola find stats on movie ticket prices, but that shouldn't take much longer."

"You're searching online?"

"I didn't find much online, so I called a few theaters and talked to a couple of managers." After pausing for a second, Yang found another big smile. "Hopefully, she can use the info they gave me."

"Oh. That's...a creative way to approach the problem." But more than just creative - the effort Yang put into a relatively simple request was far more than Blake had expected.

"Not really." From Yang's simple shrug, she didn't consider the extra work to be overly onerous. "Just talking to people and asking questions. Do you have something else you need help with?"

"Not yet, but I'll think of something."

"Cool."

With their conversation seemingly over, Blake began to move away only for Yang to reach out and lightly touch her elbow.

"Uh, hey, Blake -" Appearing hesitant, Yang shifted between her feet before speaking again. "I, uh, just wanted to say thanks. For giving me the opportunity to work here with you guys. I understand that it's...obviously not my _place_."

While running a hand through her hair and offering a little smile, Yang appeared almost apologetic for her presence. That expression alone was enough to make Blake worry that they somehow made Yang feel unwelcome, and a tiny twinge of guilt raced through her mind if that was the case.

"It's our pleasure," she responded succinctly, and even offered a small smile of her own before finally heading towards her office. Feeling Yang's eyes upon her, she made sure not to look back until she made it to her desk. Finding that Yang was now working, she turned on the computer and drank her tea while waiting to get to work.

That was a rather insightful comment on Yang's part. And, again, it felt extremely genuine. Blake was beginning to understand why Weiss trusted Yang so much - everything about her was believable and likeable in a gentle, unassuming way. Not only were her efforts sincere, but she was putting in harder work than expected - and capably, at that.

Maybe it was premature to relegate her to menial tasks. Considering the way she approached Lola's simple request for information, maybe she could actually be useful in researching other subjects or helping with tasks that didn't require a journalist's skill set.

If Blake found time this morning, she would think of something more relevant for Yang to help with. There had to be loose ends dangling about...Yang could at least _attempt_ to tie some of them up.

Keeping that thought in the back of her mind, Blake settled into her morning routine of sorting through her emails. No new responses regarding potential advertising, but she did have a confirmation for an appointment to meet with Gary's marketing specialist today. Hopefully, it would take only a few minutes to put together a design...especially if they used the same one as last time and simply updated the information.

When upbeat conversation drifted to her ears, she glanced up and shook her head when she spotted Sun chatting with Yang. Normally, she didn't care if people held personal conversations in the office, but after Sun spent a good ten minutes saying good morning, she caught his eye and gave him a pointed look.

Thankfully, he understood what she was trying to say and quickly ended his ramble before scurrying to his desk to get to work. Satisfied that he was no longer being a bother, Blake nearly turned away but happened to catch Yang's gaze first. With a small smile threatening to appear, Yang mouthed 'thank you' before going back to reading something on the computer screen.

As Lola arrived, Blake returned to her work and tuned out the office beyond the glass walls surrounding her. Today, they needed to tentatively decide on a cover article and corresponding photograph. She used the word 'tentatively' because, until Friday afternoon when the issue was sent to the printer, everything was liable to change. Still, it was good to plan in advance. She also had Velvet and Sun's articles to edit - although she wouldn't expect Sun's for a few hours - the last one to submit, as usual.

Everything was quiet and relatively normal for the greater part of the morning, which was surprising considering Yang's presence was still something of a novelty. But, besides her voice cutting into Blake's concentration every once in a while, the atmosphere was calmer than yesterday. It was calm enough that Blake flew through her morning work with hardly a distraction - a rarity for her.

By the time Velvet knocked on the door around mid-morning, Blake willingly set down her pen for a break.

"Good morning," Velvet greeted her on the way into the office. Instead of sitting, however, she rested one hand on the back of the chair and remained standing - a sign that she planned on a short visit. "I'll be out for most of the day. The fair is downtown, and I'm hoping to take some good photos during the day."

"There's a fair today?" Glancing at the date, Blake furrowed her brow at the news. Somehow, that completely slipped her radar.

"The Vale Fair," Velvet explained, her expression saying that she knew Blake had forgotten. "It's every year at this time," she added, giving Blake a contemplative look before easing into a small smile. "You know, you really should spend a little less time working. Having a life outside the office wouldn't be a bad thing."

Blake sighed at what seemed to be a popular refrain these days. "Then who will make sure everything runs smoothly?" she asked.

"I'm sure everything would be fine without you for a few days. We'd find a way to survive - we always do."

"Maybe someday," Blake answered, and noticed the bend in Velvet's ear that voiced unspoken concern.

First her parents, now Velvet? The last thing she wanted was for Velvet to worry about her too. Maybe she should make a more concerted effort to set foot outside the office, even if it was only for short walks during the day. Once upon a time, she did that fairly regularly but dropped the habit as work grew more demanding. It might be worth picking up again, but first...her mind was already spinning in another direction.

"You're going by yourself?"

"I planned on it."

Tapping her fingers on the desk, Blake battled back and forth before finally deciding on an answer.

"I have an idea." Motioning for Velvet to wait, Blake stood and walked over to the office door. "Yang?" she called out before beckoning Yang over. "Can you come here for a second?"

Quickly hopping to her feet, Yang headed into the office with a grin.

"Whaddya need, boss?" When Blake wrinkled her nose at the term, Yang cringed. "Gotcha. Won't call you that again."

Shaking her head and letting it slide, Blake waved towards Velvet instead. "I'm sure you've met Velvet, our lead photographer."

"Oh yeah! I love that shirt, by the way. It goes great with your ears."

Blushing at the compliment, Velvet averted her gaze and ran her hand along one of her long ears.

"Thank you. I thought it did too…"

While Velvet easily fell for the compliment, Blake watched Yang closely - searching for any hint of sarcasm or demeaning behavior behind the words. Humans usually didn't go out of their way to give flattery incorporating Faunus characteristics. If anything, it was more popular to point out their ears, horns, and tails as a topic of ridicule. But Blake found nothing suggesting it was an attempt at underhanded mockery, so let it go.

"Velvet is going out on assignment today," she explained to Yang. "I'd like you to go with her and help."

"Sure!" With that easy agreement, Yang turned towards Velvet for instruction. "What do you need me to do?"

"I'm sure we'll think of something," Velvet replied with a small smile. "If anything, you can be a model for my shots."

Yang laughed and nodded at the idea.

"Sure thing - whatever you need."

With Yang beaming at her new task, Blake gestured to Velvet and said, "Can you give us a second?" Fortunately, Yang took the hint and headed back to her desk to get ready to leave, but not without sending another quick glance and smile Blake's way.

Turning to Velvet, Blake lowered her voice so that Yang wouldn't overhear.

"Keep a close eye on her. If she says or does _anything_ -"

"Blake," Velvet interrupted with a patient smile. "I don't think you need to worry. Maybe you should spend some time with her? She seems like a very sweet person."

"She...does," Blake reluctantly agreed. "But she's a human, and we don't know her. She's only here because we're trying to win over Weiss. If we can find a good reason to get her out of here sooner, I'd prefer that."

For a moment, it looked like Velvet wanted to argue with that statement, but eventually shook her head and sighed.

"Of course I'll let you know if anything happens. Don't hold your breath though. I think she's different from what you're expecting."

"We'll see."

The comment was mostly for herself while watching Yang gather a few belongings to take with her, and less so for Velvet as she left Blake's office behind.

Shaking her head, but satisfied that she'd found a good way to occupy Yang's time, Blake headed back to her desk. Yesterday, she wouldn't have considered allowing Yang to do this much, but at least she was with Velvet. If anything negative happened, or if any Faunus biases showed up, Velvet would let Blake know immediately.

Plus, Velvet could always use help carrying her camera equipment around. If nothing else, Yang could serve as an extra set of hands.

The two of them left the office a few minutes later, talking amongst themselves while Velvet likely gave a rundown of what they would be doing. Once they were gone, Blake printed the articles Velvet had emailed late last night and pulled out her blue pen to start editing. At least, that was her plan. It was immediately foiled when Sun stood up and raced to her door.

"Hey Blake!" he said while letting himself in at nearly the same time he knocked. "Can you help me with this?"

After he waved a draft copy through the air, his smile grew wider when Blake sighed. He already knew she would help, as evidenced by the way he was already handing the page to her.

"Again?" she asked while accepting the additional work. "How many of these do I have to do for you?"

"But I like when you help."

"But you need to learn how to organize these yourself one of these days," she muttered while looking over what he had.

"And today is not that day!"

Hearing the borderline glee in his tone, she shook her head and did her best not to smile.

"Yes, but tomorrow could be - so prepare yourself."

When he chuckled and nodded, she read through his notes and marked up the page with suggestions for where each paragraph should go. It was still a mystery to her how he got all of the necessary paragraphs onto the page, yet never put them in the proper order. If only he took a few extra seconds and organized the article in his mind, he would be able to set it on the right path. Maybe this was just the way his brain worked...jumping from topic-to-topic and failing to consider the proper order of things.

While she worked, he sat across from her and doodled on a piece of scrap paper before folding it into an airplane. This was one of the only times he let her work in silence - although she could practically hear his pent-up energy buzzing in the air while he waited for her to finish.

However brief, the quiet was appreciated and allowed her to skim the article quickly.

"Not bad," she concluded after making it to the end and sliding the paper back to him. "You have a good start."

"Think so?" After grabbing the page, he looked over her notes with a smile.

"Yes. Now piece it together and send it back so I can edit it."

"You got it! Thanks, Blake. I owe you like fifty-seven dinners now."

"You're keeping track?"

"Yup! Have a tally on my desk."

When he looked proud of the recordkeeping system, she laughed and shook her head.

"Maybe one day, Sun..."

"That's all the hope a guy needs!"

"As friends," she clarified, but his smile didn't fall one bit.

"That's where I'll convince you otherwise," he said, hopping up from the chair and walking out. Before leaving her office, however, he tossed the paper airplane towards her and landed it perfectly on her desk. Shaking her head, she unfolded it and found 'Blake best' written inside, along with several drawings that were probably supposed to be dinosaurs.

Smiling at the display of gratitude, she set the paper off to the side and prepared for her meeting.

With a copy of Gary's previous advertisement already printed, she made a few suggested edits to incorporate the new dates. Her expertise was far from graphic design, but she did her best with the limited experience she had coordinating ads for various companies. _Technically,_ the advertising company was responsible for creating their design, but she tried to be as helpful as possible - especially when some of the smaller Faunus-owned companies had even less experience than she did.

By the time the doorbell chimed, she had a good understanding of exactly what would work and what would fit into the particular space she'd selected. Upon opening the door to greet her guest, however, she was surprised to find a young, tall, _human_ boy standing in the hall.

"Um, hello," she said before scanning the otherwise-empty hallway. "Can I help you?"

"I'm here to meet with Blake Belladonna." After glancing at a piece of paper in his hand, he looked at the number by the door to confirm he was in the right place. "I'm supposed to go over some designs with her."

"You're Lloyd?" She failed to conceal the surprise in her tone, but she'd expected a Faunus not...a human.

"Yeah, that's me. Are you Blake?"

Quickly pulling herself away from the initial shock, she nodded and extended one hand to shake his.

"Yes, I am. Sorry, I was just expecting someone -"

"Less human?" he finished for her.

"Older," she lied before waving for him to follow her inside. As far as she knew, Gary's family only worked with other beaver Faunus or the more architecturally-inclined species of birds. Incorporating humans into their business was news to her.

"How long have you been working with Gary?" she asked while leading Lloyd into her office and closing the door.

"A couple years." After setting a manila folder on the desk, he sat down and watched Blake sit across from him. "I got my degree at Vale U. then sent out random applications looking for a job. Had no idea it was a Faunus place until I showed up for the interview."

"And they offered you a position?"

"Close," he replied with a light laugh. "I begged them for it. In two years, I've learned more than in four years of classes. It's been unbelievable."

"They're some of the best at what they do," Blake agreed, though her mind still reeled from this unexpected change.

"You can say that again. They've started letting me do some of the concept creation myself." Green eyes catching hers, he grinned. "I just figured out how to fit sand dunes into a two-story house."

"Wow. Who were you doing that for?"

"A gecko, I think," he answered with a shrug. "Whoever it was, I hope they're warm with all those heat lamps. I was practically boiling in there when we tested them out."

When he chuckled at the memory, Blake smiled politely. It was rather unorthodox, but...she should be happy that Gary and his family found a capable worker to help them with their wonderful, Faunus creations. Even if the person they found turned out to be a human...

"So you're helping with their marketing campaigns too?" she asked, bringing them back on topic.

"Oh, yeah. I mean, they're not great with that type of stuff, so I volunteered to help."

Blake bristled at the notion that a family-owned business that had existed for decades was 'not great' in any way, shape, or form, but she said nothing. "I have the design they used before," she suggested instead. "I think we can work off of it and incorporate the new details."

"Oh, actually, I made up something in my free time." After opening the folder he brought with him, Lloyd slid a printed page across to her. "Do you think this will work?"

Picking up the proposed design, Blake felt her surprise grow with every detail she picked out. 'Beaver Builders' read across the top in bold print, with a slogan of 'If you can dream it, we can build it.' underneath. In the center was a clever silhouette of two beavers, and towards the bottom was a nicely highlighted 'For a limited time only' tagline followed by specific details on what was being offered.

"This is really nice," she admitted. Pulling out the previous ad and viewing them side-by-side, she quickly determined which was better before flipping them around so Lloyd could see. "I like how clean it looks."

"Hopefully a little easier to follow?" he asked.

"Definitely." Leaning back, she gave Lloyd a thoughtful look as he examined both pages with an attentive eye. "Which would you prefer?"

"Well, that's kind of up to you. You're the expert, not me."

When he smiled with the response, Blake reached forward and picked up the page he created. "This is the clear winner. Can you email it to me today?"

"Sure, I can do that."

"Great. Then you can let Gary know we're ready for this week." When she stood up, he followed and reached out to shake her hand once again.

"Thanks for your help," he added with a kind smile.

"Don't mention it - you did most of the work, after all." After walking with him to the door, Blake pulled it open and gave him a parting smile. "Thanks for stopping by."

With a wave, he set off for the stairs and Blake returned to her desk to process what just happened. He saved her some work by creating a complete design on his own, and for that she was grateful. On top of that, he seemed like a nice enough person, who was hopefully an honest and trustworthy employee. The last thing she wanted was someone taking advantage of Gary for his kindness...

Balling up the old advertisement and throwing it into the garbage can, she picked up the copy Lloyd left behind and looked at it once more. It would catch more than a few eyes and, hopefully, drum up some new business.

"Hey Blake." When Lola walked in and passed a stack of pages to her, Blake smiled. "Here are Brand's pieces for the week. I'll send mine in a bit."

"Thanks, Lola." After glancing at the titles, Blake sent Lola a curious look. "How did you like working on these?"

Lola's sigh was enough of an answer, especially when coupled with a shake of her head. "I'm glad he doesn't go on vacation very often," she answered honestly. "It's hard enough to read about some of these things, let alone write about them."

Looking down at the top article, which went through recent developments in the latest unsolved crime, Blake nodded.

"I know how you feel. Editing them isn't much easier."

"Thankfully, he'll be back next week." With those words and a small grin, Lola returned to her desk, where a tidy stack of much lighter news awaited her.

Shuffling the articles into an order that only made sense to her, Blake set them off to the side to be joined by the rest of the finished copies later. With the topics Brand wrote about on a daily basis, combined with the events he'd personally witnessed and experienced, his less-than hospitable view towards humans was understandable. As long as he could be civil, they would make it through this trial just fine.

Returning to her computer, she found Sun's rough drafts ready for editing. Combined with Velvet's from this morning, she now had a solid amount of work and a relatively quiet office to work in.

Printing the pages and pulling out a pen, she made it through Velvet's first article with very few changes. The second needed a few alterations but, overall, were near perfect before Blake even took a pen to them. Sun's, on the other hand, were far more...unique. Was that the right word? Interesting might be another. With her help on structure, the stories flowed correctly, but his word choices…

In the midst of trying to understand _what_ he actually wanted to say, she saw the door open and looked up while Yang and Velvet walked inside. Velvet was talking animatedly about something, which was strange because she rarely spoke...let alone spoke with such excited gestures. For her part, Yang nodded and listened to every word Velvet said, all with a smile set in place.

It would appear, at least from a distance, that their day was a success. Curious to hear more details, Blake caught Velvet's attention and waved her into the office.

"How'd it go?" Blake asked as soon as Velvet closed the door behind her.

"Oh, wonderful! You won't believe some of the moments I captured today."

"And what about her?" Blake asked, just barely nodding in Yang's direction. "Was she any help?"

Velvet turned towards Yang - who was, thankfully, oblivious to their glances - before smiling and nodding.

"Absolutely. She's a marvelous conversationalist."

That response didn't surprise Blake in the slightest. From what conversations they'd had, Yang seemed quite capable of putting someone at ease.

"You wouldn't believe some of the topics people were willing to discuss with her," Velvet carried on. "Faunus and human alike. No matter what question I had her ask, they were willing to answer and even elaborate on that answer. It was incredible."

The longer Velvet spoke, the more Blake's surprise grew. Those responses sounded an awful lot like gushing...and Velvet gushed about few topics other than photography.

"I'm glad to hear it went well," Blake replied, unsure if she could say anything else about the unexpected outcome. "On another note, I think we need to go with Sun's article for the cover - the one for the baseball game. Do you have photos from that?"

"I do. I'll send the best of them before I leave."

"Great. Thank you, Velvet. And thank you for taking her with you today."

"It was a pleasure," Velvet replied with a soft smile. "Really. It was great to have a fresh set of eyes."

While Velvet returned to her desk to wrap up the day, Blake turned again to Yang - pleasantly surprised, yet a little taken aback by such effusive feedback. If there was a time when Yang's true colors would show, wouldn't it be out in public when surrounded by others of her kind? While accompanying a very obvious Faunus?

Spotting the email filled with photos as soon as it arrived, Blake waved Velvet off for the night. Before leaving, Velvet said good night to Yang and patiently waited for Sun when he jumped up from his seat and jammed his belongings into his bag. The two walked out together a few minutes later, while Victor and Lola slowly moved to follow.

Checking the time and seeing that it was, in fact, time for people to go home, Blake smiled and waved her coworkers off for the night before opening Velvet's email and clicking through the photos. There were five to choose between - the 'best' ones as determined by Velvet.

Blake always let Velvet choose her favorites first, which narrowed down the selection and ensured that her preferred photos showed up in print. Then Blake selected the photograph that went best with the article she just edited and compiled both in a folder designated for this week's issue.

Catching a glimpse of motion, she glanced up and was surprised to find that Yang was still at her desk. While wearing a pair of reading glasses and staring at the computer screen, it didn't look like she planned on leaving anytime soon. And, with that realization, whatever tiny thought Blake had of going home disappeared. She didn't want to leave Yang alone in the office but also didn't want to make her leave. Instead, Blake decided to send out more emails and wait.

Half a page of companies later, however, she wanted to know what had so completely captured Yang's attention. So, after standing and stretching her tired limbs, she walked over to see what was going on.

"You're here late," she commented before glancing at the computer and finding a past edition of The Vale Voice on the screen.

"Yeah...just trying to get a feel for things." After flashing another warm smile, Yang grew more serious. "Sorry, do you want me to leave?"

"No, take your time." Blake was nearly back to her office when she stopped and turned back. Most of her didn't believe Yang was doing anything more than pretending to be interested, but in the off chance that she actually was…

Walking back to Yang's desk, Blake picked up a pen and started writing in Yang's notebook.

"You should read these first," she said while making a list of titles from the top of her head. "These are some of the best stories, in my opinion. And I think they'll give you a better understanding of who we are and what we're trying to accomplish."

Upon accepting the list, Yang scanned the titles and smiled even brighter, if that was possible.

"That's exactly what I'm trying to do - thank you!" After glancing at the page one more time, Yang looked up at Blake. "You remembered these from memory? That's really impressive."

"It's been my job to read every article for the past few years."

"Then you're really good at your job."

Having no idea how to accept that compliment, Blake bypassed it entirely.

"Do you know how to look them up by title?" When she motioned to the computer, Yang swiveled towards it.

"Uh, yeah. This thing here?"

"You got it," Blake said while Yang turned around and gave her another disarming smile. It wasn't as if she went out of her way to help or anything of the sort - all she did was write down a list of articles that came to mind. There was no need for so much gratitude to be shown in return.

"Anyway, let me know if you have any questions," she said before retreating to her office.

"I will, thanks!"

As Blake retook her seat, she watched Yang type something before going back to reading. And knowing that Yang was reading through past articles was...a different answer than Blake had expected. Again, why was it so surprising that Yang was putting in more effort than necessary? She wasn't an employee - she was just here to watch them for a few weeks. Knowing that, why did she feel the need to be as helpful as possible? All she had to do was sit back and watch the rest of them toil away.

Even though Blake returned to sending emails, her mind remained focused on what Yang was doing. A small part of her wanted to know Yang's thoughts on each article she read. Another part of her didn't want to know a human's response, which might be insulting or worse.

When Yang stood up the better part of a half hour later, Blake thought the day might finally be at an end. Instead of leaving, however, Yang walked over to Blake's office and lightly knocked on the door.

"Hey, is it ok if I print a few of those and take them home with me?" Yang waved towards her computer with an embarrassed smile. "I'd stay longer, but...I'm kinda hungry."

"Of course that's ok."

"Cool." For an instant, Yang looked relieved, as if she thought Blake would say 'no' or be disappointed that she wanted to leave. But the relief was quickly replaced by a flash of concern. "Uh, are you hungry? I mean, it's kind of late…"

As soon as Yang mentioned it, Blake's stomach grumbled, as if responding to Yang's use of the word 'hungry.'

"Yes," Blake answered, unable to be anything but honest after that. "But I'll head home soon."

"Do you want me to get you something? I can bring it back -"

"No, that's ok. Thank you for offering, but I really won't be here much longer."

Biting her lip, Yang looked like she wanted to say more. But, upon second thought, she nodded and backed away.

"I'll see you tomorrow then. Have a good night."

"You too."

While Blake covertly watched, Yang printed out a small stack of pages, gathered up her belongings, and left without another word. Hearing another grumble from her stomach, Blake opened one of her desk drawers and found a granola bar she'd stuffed inside for occasions like these.

She still had half a page of companies to get through before she would let herself go home for the night. In the meantime, she would keep copying and pasting, copying and pasting...and wondering why Yang was trying so hard. Why wasn't she just making notes about their work ethic and work processes?

What was in this for her?


	5. Chapter 5

If there was one good thing about Friday, it was that the weekend was mere hours away. Even though Blake worked through the weekend on various bits of housekeeping for The Voice, there were far fewer interruptions - meaning she worked much faster and more efficiently. Before reaching her highly-valued alone time, however, she had to make it through another Friday of chaos and last-minute changes as the week's issue was set in stone and sent to the printer.

With a steaming cup of tea already in hand, she took her first sip while walking into the building that housed The Vale Voice. Finding that the beverage's temperature had cooled to a drinkable level, she took another sip and headed upstairs.

The first thing she noticed when stepping out onto the third floor was that Yang wasn't there, which was a silly observation to make. Just because Yang was early one morning didn't mean she would _always _arrive early. If anything, being forced to wait in the hall had probably encouraged her to show up later.

Unperturbed, Blake unlocked the door, turned on the lights, and found the office in a casual state of 'issue-day disarray,' as Sun called it. Desks were messier than usual, strewn with rough and final drafts alike. Pictures lay around, waiting to be paired with their respective articles. Post-its were stuck everywhere, holding last-minute reminders for needed or desired changes.

Issue-day disarray. She hadn't said anything at the time, but she liked how it sounded.

Heading into her office and dropping her bag by the desk, she easily fell into her typical morning routine - drinking her tea and waiting for her computer to start so she could get to work. Once that happened, the first task she set about doing was inserting the final drafts into The Vale Voice blueprint. In addition to the articles, she addressed other formatting concerns - spacing chief among them. Over the course of the day, she would repeat this process over and over again - taking each finished product and placing it carefully in their next edition.

While she worked, her coworkers arrived for the day. First Victor, followed closely by Lola, and finally Sun and Velvet walked in together. Finished with the second article on her list, she paused and looked into the office, her brow furrowed in thought.

Everyone was at work, but...where was Yang?

Deciding that now was as good a stopping place as any, Blake pushed away from her desk and walked out of her office.

"Hey Blake!" Sun immediately greeted her. "I'll have these to you in a couple minutes!"

"Take your time," she replied while heading over to speak with Velvet. As she went, she spared one long look at Yang's desk and wondered where their resident human might be. Was it possible that Yang got lost again?

"Good morning, Velvet." Turning away from the conspicuously-empty desk, Blake smiled at her close friend. "Can I see your shots from the fair yesterday?"

"Oh! Sure, let me find them for you." After opening a file of images, Velvet enlarged the first one so it took up most of the screen and slid out of the way so Blake could click through at her own pace. Leaning forward to better see, she examined the first photograph before moving to the second, the third, the fourth, and so on.

"These are...incredible."

As usual, Velvet captured distinct emotions in every photograph. The pure joy of a child being handed a balloon, the triumph of someone beating a carnival game, the excitement of a group of friends about to board a ride.

Clicking to the next picture and finding the first photo of Yang, Blake paused for a few extra seconds and studied it closely.

Yang was leaning against one of those temporary metal barriers and laughing with one of the carnival employees. What they were laughing about was anyone's guess, but it was easy to feel the joviality through the colors on the screen. And, as expected, Yang was exceptionally photogenic. Even when she wasn't aware the camera was on her, this...light...seemed to shine from her.

"Very nice," Blake mused before clicking forward and stopping completely.

"These are my favorites," Velvet said while gesturing towards the screen. After taking in the first photo and moving to the next, Blake could see why.

The series of four photographs created a sense of time lapsing while the event unfolded in stop-frame. In the first photo, Yang knelt on the ground, her long blonde hair cascading down her back while her arms extended in front of her. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation while looking straight ahead...at a young tiger Faunus. The small boy was in the midst of sweeping one foot across the dirt-trodden ground, with his head slightly lowered in determination.

In the second photo, he was running - his short legs carrying him as fast as possible while he prepared to launch himself towards forward. Yang was still waiting, arms still at the ready.

In the next photo, he was flying in the air - his arms held wide like an airplane while he grinned in pure joy. The young tiger might be thinking that he'd fly away rather than ever return to the ground, but Yang was waiting for him to come back to earth with a laugh on her lips.

In the last photo, he'd made it safely back into Yang's arms. And in this brief moment, which might have lasted no longer than a second in real time, she held him off the ground - her eyes closed while she hugged him close. As she did so, his tail curled in a clear sign of delight.

"They're fantastic..." Blake whispered before clearing her throat and turning towards Velvet. "Can you send these to me? All of them, I mean?"

"Sure. I'll do that right now."

When Velvet smiled, Blake nodded and sent one last glance towards the photo on the screen. She had a lot of questions as to how or why that moment even took place. Who was the little boy? How had Yang stumbled across his path? Why had they decided that this was what they wanted to do?

Before she could begin to formulate answers, the door suddenly opened, drawing her attention away from the computer as Yang raced inside. Her apologetic eyes immediately found Blake's gaze, and she hurried over with an equally regretful posture.

"I'm so sorry I'm late -"

"I knew it - you're a party animal!" Sun cut her off with a laugh. "Up all night, I bet."

That wasn't at all what Yang was going to say, but she managed a chuckle while setting her bag on her desk.

"I don't know about party animal, but I might be a _night owl_."

When Sun laughed at the joke, Victor quickly joined in - his 'whowhowho's succeeding in making Lola laugh and Velvet smile. Even Blake cracked a slight smile in response to Victor's happy chortles before heading back to her office. She only made it a few steps, however, before sensing a presence at her elbow.

"Hey, I'm really sorry I'm late," Yang repeated. "I had to help my sister -"

"It's ok," Blake cut in before turning around and giving Yang a reassuring nod. "It's fine if you're late every once in a while."

"It is?" Yang looked so shocked by the statement, Blake couldn't help but laugh.

"Yes. It's called personal accountability, Yang. As long as you get your work done, I'm not going to set a schedule for you."

Blinking once as that information sunk in, Yang finally grinned.

"That's pretty much the coolest thing anyone's ever told me."

Unsure of how to take that response, which sounded like another compliment, Blake nodded again and turned away. "I'm glad you think so," she added before heading into her office and closing the door.

Why was that moderately embarrassing? She hadn't intended to sound so...boss-like...but that was probably how it sounded.

Quickly putting the conversation behind her, she hurried about getting the next edition ready for printing. Now that everyone was here, the work would pick up as finished articles were pushed to her inbox.

On cue, a message popped up on her screen with Sun's final drafts attached. Slowly and methodically, she scanned the articles in search of last-minute errors, allowing herself as much time as necessary to ensure she missed nothing. She absolutely could not rush this part of her job, because if she did, she would miss easily correctable mistakes.

It took some time, but she eventually made it through each piece and determined that there were no errors to be found. When she gave Sun a thumbs-up through the glass walls of her office, he gave a 'whoop!' of success before jumping to his feet, gathering his belongings, and heading home early.

Under ordinary circumstances, it might annoy Blake that he was so willing to go home early. Before leaving, however, he stopped at everyone's desk to see if they needed help with their work. Only after receiving 'no's across the board did he send Blake a wave and head out...but not without stopping for a good five minutes to say goodbye to Yang and Velvet first.

With Sun's section of the paper finished, Blake turned her attention to the next set of articles needing final review - this time from Lola. Velvet sent hers in at nearly the same time, giving Blake almost all of the pieces she needed except for Victor's. Knowing him, he was using the extra time to sneak in as many vocabulary words as possible. He knew that Blake would cut most of them, but that never stopped him from trying.

Now that she thought about it, maybe this was his way of expanding her own vocabulary. She _was_ often forced to look up new words when he used them...and by sneaking them in between the rough and final draft, he all but assured they would get cut in editing...

Returning her attention to the task at hand, she went through each article with a fine-tooth comb. She prided herself on being a good editor, which meant she refused to allow mistakes printed in their paper. Even the smallest typo could cast doubt or remove credibility from their reporting, which in turn erased some of the longstanding trust they'd built with their readers over years and years.

It was one of her most important responsibilities, and she took it seriously. To everyone else, however, it was probably incredibly boring to watch her unblinkingly stare at several paragraphs of words - sometimes reading through the page three or four times before determining it was fit for printing.

Once Lola and Brand's articles were complete, she took a break before starting Velvet's, which shouldn't take long based on the rough drafts she saw the other day. But first, she stood and stretched her back before heading over to the office door. After glancing around the room, her gaze landed upon Lola.

"Lola," she said, keeping her voice quiet so as not to disturb the tranquility that had settled over them. "I'm finished with your articles, if you want to head home."

"Oh, thank you. I'll leave in a bit. Yang and I are going through this week's style magazine first." When Lola held up a magazine that had been sitting on top of the pile on her desk, Blake nodded and pretended that the news hadn't surprised her.

After giving Yang a curious glance, and receiving a hesitant smile in return, Blake turned to Victor. "Will you have your final drafts done soon?"

"Just sent them. I believe you'll find they meet your standards."

With an amused smile, Blake shook her head and returned to her desk. "They always do," she said over her shoulder before sequestering herself once again. On her computer she found Victor's articles waiting for her, leaving just two more sets to go through before moving on to the next stage in the process.

Somehow, it always worked out that she saved the best for last. And by 'best,' she meant the most technically sound. Velvet's took only a few minutes apiece to proofread, while Victor's took a little longer to remove a few too many complex words. Mellifluous, maudlin, and obfuscate were left on the cutting room floor this week, but caustic and perfunctory were allowed to stay.

Personally, she had no issue with the lesser-known vocabulary words. From a style and reader standpoint, however, there were only so many upper-level terms one wanted to read in a Saturday paper. Even in the political subjects Victor covered, there was a need for approachability from all levels of readers - not just the upper echelon of wordsmiths.

With all of the articles complete, Blake sent Velvet and Victor a quick message letting them know that they were free to leave if they wanted. Hardly breaking stride, she immediately set about fitting each piece into the rigid page formatting and made adjustments as the newest edition of The Vale Voice came to life before her eyes.

When everything was perfectly placed, formatted, and saved, she leaned back and gave herself a few second reprieve before setting up an email to their printer. As her mouse hovered over the 'send' button, however, an idea popped into her head. She nearly dismissed it as soon as it appeared, but something about it made her pause and glance away from the screen.

Drumming her fingers on the desk, she watched Yang read something on the computer screen. More articles, maybe? Or was she doing more research for Lola?

Seeing as how Blake hadn't come up with any responsibilities to pass along, it was admirable that Yang somehow found enough to fill the day. If she hadn't been tasked by Weiss to observe them, it might feel like she was an actual new employee learning the job and everything that came with it. There was the whole 'human' thing, but if it weren't for that...

Maybe Velvet was right. Maybe Blake should take the time to speak to Yang instead of making assumptions based on what she looked like. Because, from everything she'd seen so far, it looked like Yang was making a considerable effort to be helpful.

Coming to a decision, Blake copied this week's edition onto a portable memory drive instead of emailing it to the printer like usual. After grabbing the small device and her keys, she headed out of her office and walked over to Yang's desk.

"Yang," she said, drawing lilac eyes away from the screen. "Would you like to come with me while I drop this off?"

There was a brief hesitation - Blake noticed it clear as day - but Yang quickly said, "Uh, sure!" and popped out of her seat.

Sensing the lack of certainty, Blake added, "You don't have to -"

"Oh, no - I want to!" Yang replied with a smile for good measure. "I was just reading more articles, but I can do that later."

"Ok…" Noticing Velvet watching them intently, Blake turned her way. "Velvet, you're more than welcome to join us."

But Velvet shook her head at the offer. "I'm planning on leaving soon, but you two have fun."

While Yang searched for her phone and keys in order to leave, Velvet mouthed 'be nice.' Shaking her head, Blake replied with a simple 'of course.' Of course she could be polite for an afternoon. That wasn't much to ask at all.

Noticing Yang standing by her shoulder, Blake gestured towards the door.

"Shall we?"

After Yang nodded, Blake led them out of the office - taking the stairs before leaving the building and walking into the early-afternoon sun. Taking a deep breath of fresh air (at least, fresher than the recycled air in the office), she glanced at Yang before heading towards their destination.

Their feet hit the sidewalk in an asynchronous pattern, and the silence that had followed them out of the office seemed to have no end in sight. Yang clearly wasn't feeling as talkative as she appeared to be in the office and, if Blake had to guess, the strained feeling between them had more to do with her presence than anything else. Logically, it made sense - they hadn't spent any time together. Mostly because Blake was busy, but also because she hadn't made much of an effort to get to know their temporary guest.

As the uncomfortable silence expanded, her mind was drawn back to the unfortunate way she ended Yang's first day at the office - by insinuating that she had no idea what discrimination felt like. Even if she didn't experience it in the way Blake did, that didn't mean it was impossible for her to imagine...

"I'm sorry for what I said on Wednesday," Blake apologized after the silence continued for too long. Feeling Yang's gaze turn her way, she kept her own trained straightforward. "It wasn't very thoughtful of me to...assume that you couldn't understand."

"Hey, no problem." When Blake spared a glance to the right, she watched Yang shove her hands into her front pockets and shrug. "I mean, if that's the way you feel, that's the way you feel."

"But I shouldn't make assumptions. I don't know you, and I don't know what you've been through."

"Well, we could change that." After another one of those disarmingly genuine smiles, Yang added, "I mean, you could get to know me, then know for sure that I'm a horrible person."

The grin Yang threw in at the end of that comment succeeded in making Blake smile.

"I don't think you're a _horrible_ person," she said, forcing her eyes back in front of her. "I just...haven't had many good interactions with humans, I suppose."

"I'm sorry...I wish that wasn't the case."

And Yang _did_ sound sorry, casting her eyes downward while following Blake around the corner without a word. It wasn't until they reached the next block that she finally looked up, her eyes searching the streets before asking, "Where're we going?"

"Since you don't have much experience in print journalism, I thought you'd like to see how things work behind the scenes."

"That sounds _exactly_ like something I'd like to see."

Satisfied with the response, Blake led them a little further before pulling open a door to a business that probably looked closed to someone who didn't know the area well.

"This is where The Vale Voice is printed." Walking into the large warehouse-like space filled with giant machinery and a plain cement floor, they were greeted by silence. Of course, Blake knew that the silence was only temporary: as soon as the machines came to life, the steady roar of paper flying through the printing presses would fill the air.

Their entrance was quickly noticed, and an elderly raccoon Faunus with ink smudges running up and down his smock rushed over.

"Is that Blake Belladonna I see?" he asked while extending a hand to her. "You haven't been here in ages!"

"We've been busy at work," Blake replied, shaking his hand and giving him a warm smile. "But I wanted to stop by in person today. I was hoping you could show my...friend...how you bring The Voice to life."

The label felt disingenuous, but she couldn't think of another word to use in this situation. Coworker didn't feel like the correct answer either. Observer? Temporary employee?

Fortunately, while Yang looked surprised by the term, their host didn't flinch.

"It would be my pleasure. I love showing others the art of printing." When he smiled at Yang, Yang smiled in return, and Blake realized she still needed to introduce the two of them.

"This is Raphael," she explained as the slender man dipped his head. "He's been printing The Voice since...well, since before I was born, most likely."

"Has it been that long?" Scratching his chin as he thought about the past, his eyes briefly glazed over before snapping back to the present. "Time's flying by."

"It really is," Blake agreed before waving towards Yang. "Raphael, this is Yang - and I'm sure she'd love to see you work your magic."

"I really would," Yang added with a sincere smile. "I've never seen anything like this before."

"Then you're in for quite the surprise."

As expected, Raphael was ecstatic at the opportunity to show off his art form, and Yang seemed equally excited to learn. But, before any of that could happen, Blake turned towards the second person approaching them and found a young man who looked more and more like his father as the years passed.

"Ah, there you are!" Clapping one hand on the boy's shoulder, Raphael gave him a good shake while moving him forward to meet Yang. "This is my boy, Vincent -"

"But you can call me Vince," Vincent cut in while stepping forward and shaking Yang's hand. "Can I get you some water or something?"

"Oh -" Briefly taken aback by the offer, Yang quickly regained her trademark smile. "I'm ok, but thanks for asking."

When Vincent nodded and stepped back in line with his father, Blake gave him a curious glance. That was an unexpected offer for him to make...especially seeing as how she'd hardly heard him speak before. Granted, the last time she'd been here was years ago, and a lot could change in that time.

"I brought this for you," she finally said, holding up the memory stick containing this week's version of The Voice. Making a pleased noise, Raphael took it from her hand and motioned them to the far end of the room, where the process would begin.

"The larger papers have dedicated printers that work daily," Blake explained when they stopped in front of a computer that Raphael loaded the images into. "We don't need that much equipment, so we use Raphael. Every Friday, he's in charge of making sure The Vale Voice is ready for delivery in the morning."

"It's my favorite time of the week," Raphael added. Moving masterfully around the various contraptions, he waved an arm for his son to help.

"First, we make the plates," he said, his brow furrowed while he lined everything up in the machine. "Easy enough - we etch the image onto these thin aluminum plates." After holding one up as an example, he fed it into the machine as Vincent pressed start.

The process, which _sounded_ time consuming, actually took no more than a minute per plate. In no time at all, the two Faunus made a stack that encompassed every page of The Vale Voice.

"This is what they look like when done," Vincent said while holding one out for Yang to see. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"That _is_ cool. So what do you do with those?"

"We take 'em over here." Directing them to the next machine, Vincent handed each plate to his father, who was in charge of pressing them into place on the giant spool taking up one end of the printing press.

"You need to make sure they're in the right order, otherwise you'll end up with a couple pages printed upside down." Working as he spoke, Raphael checked and double-checked each plate before moving onto the next. His diligence was one of the many reasons Blake loved using him as a printer - none of their pages had ever been printed upside down.

"Wow, that's a big roll of paper," Yang said while pointing to the giant spool of newsprint loaded into the press.

"They weigh a ton, too." After handing his dad the last plate, Vincent dusted off his hands and sent Yang a smile. "But you get a good workout moving them around."

"I'll bet you do."

With their materials loaded into place, Raphael checked everything a third time before nodding. "Start 'er up!" he directed his son. After pressing the proper buttons on the control panel, Vince stepped back and watched the giant roll of newsprint come to life. At first, it spun slowly - giving them a steady view of images appearing on the newsprint after it passed under the giant spool. After a few seconds, the printing press sped up, adding a loud droning noise to the air as sheets and sheets of paper flew past.

"Black ink first," Raphael explained, raising his voice over the sound of the press before leading them down the line. "Individual colors here - for photos. Cut lengthwise here, then widthwise, then folded together."

Stacks upon stacks of neatly-folded newspapers were already rolling down the conveyor belt to the other end of the room. From there, they would be picked up by various distributors and delivered in the morning.

Grabbing a copy off of the closest stack, Raphael handed it to Blake, who handed it to Yang.

"Hot off the press," he said before happily returning to his work.

After flipping through the still-warm pages, Yang stared at the papers practically flying off the press. "This is so cool," she said mostly to herself but loud enough for Blake to overhear.

"They can print tens of thousands of copies in an hour. Not that we need that many, but that's how fast the process is."

"I had no idea..."

Chuckling at the wonderment in Yang's eyes, Blake walked back to the start of the press - where the first words appeared on previously blank paper. This was, personally, her favorite part. One second, the page was as blank as could be. The next, it was covered in the words that she and her coworkers had spent the entire week writing.

"It's awesome that you created that." Turning towards the comment, Blake found Yang giving her a reassuring nod. "Like, _you _put all that together," Yang added while pointing to the press.

"It's a team effort."

Her words were muffled, and Yang likely didn't hear them over the sound of the newsprint spinning off the roll. But the sound stopped several minutes later, as their printing quota was reached and the machine slowed to a stop.

"There you have it," Blake added. "Distributors will pick up the copies early tomorrow morning and deliver them to specific locations around Vale." As she spoke, Raphael bustled around wrapping stacks of papers in twine for easier pickup. She expected Vincent to help his father - instead, he lingered by Yang's side.

"So...how long have you been working at The Vale Voice?"

"Oh, I don't actually work there." Yang shot Blake a glance with the response, as if worried she'd be offended by the assumption. "I'm just helping out for a bit."

"Well, they're really lucky to have you."

Yang chuckled and turned towards the stacks of finished copies, but Vincent took a step forward to follow her movement. "But hey, if you're looking for something to do after you're done helping them out, you can always hang over here. I can show you how to print a thing or two."

That offer gave away his intentions, which Blake should have figured out much sooner. He was flirting with Yang, or at least trying to. It seemed like a horribly unprofessional thing to do, but it wasn't exactly a hyper-professional environment, to begin with.

"'How to print a thing or two?'" Yang repeated with a light laugh. "You mean how to do magic. I mean, look at this!" She waved towards the stacks of newspapers that had just flown through the printing press. "I can't believe this was only a computer file a few minutes ago."

"Oh, yeah, it kinda loses its 'magic' after a few years though..." After Yang hummed and studied the papers for a few more seconds, Vincent joined his father in wrapping the last of the copies - seemingly forgetting the question he'd asked that Yang had seamlessly redirected.

The fact that he was so overt in his flirting was...irksome. Sure, Yang was pretty, but was he really so shallow as to go after the first pretty face that walked in? What about personality? Moral compass? For all he knew, Yang was one of the people protesting Faunus rights at the courthouse every weekend. And yet he still willingly went after her?

Sure, Yang probably _wasn't_ protesting, but he didn't know that. Because he didn't know anything about her.

It was startlingly similar to the situation that Blake found herself in. Except...her reaction had been negative, whereas Vincent's was openly positive. But she was trying to change that first impression - that's why she was here at Raphael's to begin with.

"Do you print for other companies?" Yang asked before pointing to some other printed materials lying around.

"Oh yes, of course. We stay busy." With a grin, Raphael wrapped the last package of papers before clapping his hands together. "And there you have it." When his son came to stand by his side, Raphael gave him a thoughtful expression. "You know, this seems to go much faster when we have company."

Understanding the meaning behind that statement, Blake decided it was best to take their leave now before sitting through more uncomfortable invitations.

"Thank you for indulging us," she said, giving the man an appreciative smile and receiving one in return.

"You're welcome here anytime."

"Definitely," Vincent rushed to add. "You can stop by whenever."

Barely preventing herself from rolling her eyes, Blake instead caught Yang's gaze and nodded towards the exit.

"Uh, thanks, Vince," Yang said before following Blake out. "And thank you both for showing me how printing works. It's seriously awesome."

As Blake held the door open, she waited for Yang to wave goodbye before they walked out into the afternoon sun.

"Seems like you made a new friend," she commented as soon as they were outside, still moderately annoyed by Vincent's behavior but feeling more amused about it as they left the printing shop behind.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't want to be rude, you know?"

"You handled it well, but...do you get that often? Even from Faunus?"

"Uh, I mean, anyone really. Boys, girls, humans, Faunus…" Yang shook her head, as if somehow it was a bad thing to be so highly pursued, before grinning at Blake. "One time, this little kid at the park proposed to me. It was adorable."

"Ah. I didn't realize you were engaged."

Yang let out a startled laugh at the joke, which, frankly, Blake hadn't expected herself - it slipped out before she gave it a second thought.

"I guess you could say I am," Yang replied with a nod. "I definitely didn't tell him _no_, that's for sure. He was way too cute for that."

"So if someone cute asks you to marry them, you won't be able to turn them down?" When Blake gave Yang a look of amused disbelief, Yang waggled her brow in return.

"What can I say? I'm a sucker for a pretty face."

After Blake chuckled at the joke, the two of them lapsed into a momentary silence that was far more comfortable than when they left the office. Of course, Velvet had been right. Yang was actually quite enjoyable to spend time with and easy to talk to. While Blake expected there to be some sort of...invisible break in their ability to communicate...there simply wasn't. And, on the plus side, Yang seemed to be a genuinely nice, caring person. Weiss certainly could have sent far worse people to their office.

"Have you dated a Faunus before?" As soon as the question slipped out, Blake knew it was prying into Yang's personal life, but she was curious to find out if any of those potential suitors were successful. And, as luck would have it, Yang had no problem answering.

"A couple," she replied with a lighthearted shrug. "Here and there. Nothing too serious though."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Wait, why's that so surprising?"

Blake shrugged and kept walking.

"It's just...not very common."

It was fascinating to think that Faunus would actively go after Yang, and that Yang would reciprocate those feelings. Part of that surprise might be because it seemed like Yang lived an exceptionally fortunate life. Why would she make it difficult by adding a Faunus to it?

Another part could be that, personally, Blake had never considered dating a human. It just...didn't seem like a human could ever fully understand her. How could they comprehend what it was like to be a Faunus, and thus an outcast to society? And if they couldn't understand her, how would a relationship ever work out?

But, after just this short time together, she could definitely feel the draw Yang had about her. Sun's reaction, and Vincent's advances, made more sense now. If Yang was willing to entertain the notion, why wouldn't they at least make an attempt?

"So you use a Faunus printer," Yang commented, drawing Blake out of her thoughts as they rounded the corner before the office building.

"And a Faunus delivery team," Blake replied. "We try to provide opportunities to the community, no matter how small. And you don't have to keep that, you know."

When Blake pointed to the paper in Yang's hand, Yang held it up and smiled.

"But it's one of the first ones off the press! It could be worth a ton of money one day!"

Pulling open the lobby door and letting Yang walk through first, Blake laughed.

"Maybe if the world runs out of paper..."

"And that _could_ happen."

Shaking her head and smiling, Blake followed Yang upstairs and into the empty office, where she finally sighed in relief. Friday afternoons offered a small moment of respite when the next issue was with the printer and there was no more work for her to do. At least...there was no more work she could do on the current edition.

"Feel free to head home now," she told Yang as they stopped at her desk. "Not much happens around here after we've gone to print for the week."

Looking around the unattended desks, Yang nodded.

"Yeah, I noticed everyone taking off early. Makes sense though - not much to do until we're back at it next week, right?"

"Exactly." For whatever reason, the fact that Yang understood without Blake having to explain was a bit of a relief. Not that she had a problem defending their work habits, but it was nice not to have to.

"Then I'll see you Monday. Unless...do you work over the weekend?"

"I do, but everyone else is off. Their only task is thinking of topics for next week."

"What will you do?" Yang asked.

"Go over accounting, manage invoices - all of the general office maintenance I sometimes don't get to during the week."

Nodding to herself, Yang thought about something for a moment before speaking again.

"You know, the Vale Fair is this weekend. Maybe you can check it out? I'm taking my sister."

"Older or younger?" Blake asked.

"Younger. Couple of years."

With a nod, Blake filed away that information and concluded that it explained a bit of Yang's nurturing energy.

"You can come with us if you want," Yang added, and Blake paused to consider the offer.

The Vale Fair...when was the last time she'd been to a fair? It had to have been years by this point - so long that she couldn't even remember her last visit. But spending time with Yang outside of work would undoubtedly be uncomfortable for them both. Plus, there were several housekeeping matters she wanted to finish before the new week started.

"Thanks," she finally replied. "But I have a lot of work to do."

If Yang was disappointed by the answer, her expression didn't show it. But why would the answer disappoint her? It was unlikely she'd expected Blake to accept. Most likely, that was one of those spur of the moment invitations where the desired response is actually 'no.'

"Ok, but if you change your mind, the offer still stands. And if you need help with anything too - just let me know."

Blake nodded while Yang picked up her bag to leave - still holding onto the next day's copy of The Voice.

"Oh." Stopping by the door, Yang gave Blake one last, winning smile. "And thanks for taking me to see how the paper is printed. That was really fun."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it."

That was as much as Blake could think to say before Yang smiled and left the office behind. The door closed behind her with a soft thud, leaving Blake alone in the quiet room to think over their afternoon.

It _had_ been unexpectedly enjoyable to drop off the file in person versus emailing it and immediately beginning her next task. The short break was a welcome change from the constant working. And the conversation had been a nice distraction from the stress of keeping The Voice afloat.

Heading into her office and checking the time, she considered going home early before sitting down to finish a few side projects first. What would she do at home but work anyway? She might as well stay here a little longer. But, realistically, she should take more breaks during the day - it might help her feel less exhausted by the time she made it home. Plus, as Yang just proved, those breaks could be enjoyable with the right company.

Not that Yang was the _right_ company or anything, but...she possibly wasn't as bad as Blake originally wrote her off to be.


	6. Chapter 6

Blake used to look at the distribution numbers as soon as they were available on Saturday morning. With great anticipation, she waited for that small data point to show up online, then used it as a barometer while repeatedly checking through the rest of the weekend.

Over time, she stopped looking so obsessively. She still checked, normally on Saturday evening, but with a sense of apprehension instead of anticipation. Rather than hope for a huge increase in readership, she dreaded a huge decrease - one large enough to break their fledgling hold on survival.

Neither the huge decrease nor the huge increase happened this weekend. When compared week-to-week, the numbers appeared relatively stable. Looking at a longer time horizon, however, made the alarming, downward trend fully visible.

Granted another week's stay, she managed her weekend as she normally did: a moderately healthy mix of personal errands interspersed with various accounting tasks (paying the office's rent chief amongst them) and preparation for the upcoming week. But part of that preparation, however, had been far from ordinary.

It was the start of a new week, which meant Brand would be back from vacation...and Yang was still here.

Most of Blake's free time had been devoted to finding something to defray the potential conflict, to no avail. She couldn't exactly ask Yang to leave whenever Brand was in the office, nor did she want to. She couldn't tell Brand to work from home either - that might only make him more upset.

Ultimately, she'd thrown her hands in the air and decided there was nothing she could do except wait and see how Brand took the unexpected change in his work environment. Not a great solution, but there wasn't much else she could do from home.

What she _had_ been able to do, with moderate success, was create a list of tasks Yang could help with around the office. That had been, without a doubt, the most enjoyable part of her weekend. With an extra set of hands, they could finally start some of the tasks they'd put off for ages. Archiving previous versions of The Vale Voice and helping Velvet tag and organize all of her photos were top priorities now that they had extra manpower.

By the time Blake made her way to work, a warm cup of tea in hand, she felt adequately prepared for whatever the day might hold...minus the giant question mark that was Brand. Stepping into the office and turning on the lights, she looked at his desk and took a sip of tea.

They made it through last week alright, and Yang seemed to be a positive contributor so far. The last thing Blake wanted to do was disrupt the gentle peace that had been established, regardless of the circumstances. They were hopefully making progress towards securing an advertiser that could solve the bulk of their problems. If Brand, for whatever reason, flew off the handle at Yang...that would be a very negative first impression and a harsh mark against their work.

Taking her tea into her office, Blake checked her morning emails but didn't dive into her work right away. Instead, she organized a few files and put away some unnecessary papers while keeping one eye on the door.

Hopefully, Brand would get there first, giving her the chance to speak to him in private. Unfortunately, he normally arrived last since he worked from home in the morning. As he put it, his kids weren't getting any younger, and he liked seeing them off to school before starting his day.

Sure enough, Yang got there first - walking through the door while already in conversation with Velvet. Blake watched the two sit down, then watched Victor hurry in a few minutes later, before standing up and walking over to Yang's desk.

She could give Yang the list of projects she'd compiled and, if possible, a bit of a head's up…

As she walked to Yang's desk, the door burst open yet again, and Sun raced inside. Catching Blake's gaze, he grinned.

"Hey Blake! You'll _never _guess what happened this weekend."

"Tell me about it later?" she diverted him, unwilling to be dragged into a long conversation at this instant. Pleased with the response, he nodded and flew to his desk in a tornado of noise. While he set everything down and got ready for work, Blake walked to Yang's desk and cleared her throat.

"Good morning, Yang."

When Yang turned towards her, it was with a smile that immediately grew brighter - as if it was a surprise for Blake to stop and talk to her.

"Hey, good morning!"

Feeling the joyful gaze warm her skin, Blake dropped her eyes to examine Yang's desk. A few random notes were stacked in a somewhat-neat pile beside the keyboard while a full-sized notebook lay on the larger part of the desk. From just a glance, she saw that the page was filled with neatly arranged notes.

Overall, Yang was far more organized than Blake had expected based solely on appearance. Of course, if Yang could organize her wardrobe and outfits to coordinate so perfectly, why was it difficult to believe she could organize the rest of her life as well?

Meeting Yang's gaze again, Blake struggled to find the words she wanted to say, unsure of how to bring up the topic of an unhappy bear headed their way.

"Did you have a good weekend?" she asked instead.

"Yeah, it was great! How was yours?"

"Mine was...normal." Her heart jumped when the door opened, but she smiled in relief when Lola walked in. Passing by Yang's desk, Lola gave them a soft "good morning" before going about her business.

"Normal's good," Yang replied, never losing that cheerful grin. "I'd take 'normal' over a lot of the alternatives."

"That's true…" Blake mused before remembering what the two of them talked about on Friday. "You went to the fair with your sister, right? How was that?"

To Blake, the conversation felt awkward and forced, but Yang seemed to have no problem with it. She actually grinned from ear-to-ear while leaning back in her seat.

"It was awesome. Although she ate like three things of cotton candy and nearly puked on the spinning teacup ride...but, other than that, we had a blast."

"That...sounds like fun."

Again, the conversation stalled while Blake searched for somewhere to go from there. Deciding work was the safest route, she handed the list of tasks to Yang.

"I wrote down a few things you can help with," she explained while Yang read the bullet points. "Some of them might be longer projects, but I wasn't sure how long you'd be here."

"Oh, me neither, actually. Weiss is still outta town, so I guess at least until she gets back?"

"When's that?"

"Couple weeks."

Nodding at their tentative time frame, Blake mentally calculated that as enough time to make a sizeable dent in the work. Any extra progress was helpful, especially when zero progress was currently being made.

"Great. Victor can show you how to set up an archive, and you can work with Velvet to figure out how she wants her photos scanned." When Blake glanced one desk over, Velvet smiled at the idea and nodded. "Don't worry about finishing everything," Blake added. "We can always pick up where you leave off."

When Yang chuckled at the comment, Blake gave her a curious look.

"You act like I'm just gonna up and leave," Yang explained with a shake of her head. "Even if I need to help Weiss with other stuff, I'll make sure to finish this - at night or on the weekends or whenever. I mean, if you'll let me."

While Yang seemed suddenly uncertain, her dedication to seeing the tasks through to the end lifted the corners of Blake's lips.

"Of course you can," she answered, feeling even more of a smile appear when Yang looked relieved by the response. But Blake's attention abruptly shifted away when the door opened and a tall, burly man strode inside.

No sooner had the door fallen shut did his eyes land on Yang, and his smile immediately disappeared.

"Brand!" Sun shouted, racing over and jumping to give the towering man a high-five. "What's up, big man? How was vaca?"

"It was great," Brand said, but his gaze never left Yang, who squirmed in her seat. That was an appropriate reaction given the circumstances, with Brand's furrowed brow and his eyes casting a suspicious gleam. Curious at the lackluster response, Sun followed Brand's glower before grimacing and slinking back to his desk.

Determined to make this as painless as possible, Blake walked over to greet him.

"Good morning, Brand," she said, doing her best to block Yang from view so he would stop glaring. "How was your trip?"

"A lot of fun." After casting another glance at Yang, he leaned close to whisper, "Did something happen while I was gone?"

As his gaze flitted over her shoulder, Blake did her best not to turn around.

"Let's talk for a second." Shooting at glance towards Yang, who was clearly listening while also trying to disappear, Blake gestured for Brand to follow her. Once inside her office, she closed the door and took a deep breath.

"Ok, let me hear it," she said, walking around him to her desk.

"What's a _human_ doing here?" he immediately asked.

"She's helping us for a little while -"

"She's _working_ here?"

"It's only temporary," she tried to reassure him, but he wasn't hearing it.

"This is supposed to be a _Faunus_ environment," he said, a displeased frown still on his lips. "Where _Faunus_ can find a bit of peace from the world out there." As he gestured roughly towards the window, Blake looked at the sunny blue sky beyond before turning back and waiting. She knew he had more to say, and she only waited several seconds before he said it.

"You know what it's like," he added, knowing he would find a kindred spirit in her. "You know what The Voice is supposed to be. How could you let her in here?"

When it was finally her turn to speak, she first let out a long sigh - one that felt like she'd held in for a long, long time.

"I agree with you," she said simply. "The people here are what makes us special. We provide hope to Faunus by speaking in their voice."

When he nodded at the response, she added, "And that's why I'm willing to do whatever it takes to keep us running." His nod stopped, but she continued. "We _need _advertisers, Brand. You know this. Without advertisers, we have no money. And without money, The Vale Voice is no more. Is that what you want?"

It was a serious question, and he took it as such. Thinking about his answer carefully, he slowly shook his head.

"No...that's not what I want."

"Good. Me neither." Sensing that his stance had softened, she gave him an earnest expression. "She's here because we have a chance to win over Schnee Industries. We only need to prove we're worthy of the investment."

He clenched his jaw at her word choice, but was calming down in leaps and bounds. She understood his harsh reaction - the last thing he'd expected coming to work today was to find a human working amongst them. It was a shock, an unpleasant surprise, and deserving of an outburst. But, eventually, he slumped his shoulders, losing some of his imposing height in the process.

"It's only temporary then…?"

"Yes." From the way he nodded, she could tell he was coming around. He was smart enough to understand the reasons behind her decision, and he loved The Voice as much as she did. If their positions were reversed, she was certain he would have made the same choice.

"She's only here to see how we operate," she added. "And it will only be a couple of weeks."

After thinking about the situation for several long seconds, Brand eventually sighed.

"I guess I can deal with that..."

"That's all I'm asking of you." About to leave it at that, Blake changed her mind and added, "But she's actually a nice person, if you wanted to get to know her. You don't have to be friends or anything, but she might be able to help with some of your work."

She watched him mull over the question, knowing she was asking an awful lot of a man who'd experienced far more than she had. But, surprisingly, he nodded again.

"I can at least be polite," he muttered, mostly to himself. "This is a professional workplace, after all…"

Impressed by his decision, Blake walked over and patted his arm.

"Come on then. Let me introduce you."

Opening the door, she led them into the main office and stopped by Brand's desk, hearing him sigh softly behind her. Everyone pretended to be buried in their work at that moment, but she felt the entire room's attention on them - everyone wondering what would happen next.

"Yang," she said while waving Yang over.

Rapid glances flitted in Yang's direction as she stood and walked over. She was smart enough to look hesitant, but still managed a small smile directed Brand's way.

"Brand, this is Yang. She's here from Schnee Industries." When Yang nodded, Blake turned to Brand. "Yang, this is Brand. He's in charge of the crime and punishment sections. He was out last week taking his family on vacation."

"It's nice to meet you," Yang replied with a polite smile and dip of her chin. "I hope you had a good vacation! Where'd you go?"

"Ice-land," Brand answered, standing to his full, towering height. "Their request." When he gestured towards the photo of his kids on his desk, Yang spared it a glance before doing a double-take.

"Wait, you're Zell's dad?"

Brand's eyes widened when he heard his daughter's name. "Yes…" he answered hesitantly, but Yang laughed - having lost her hesitation from seconds earlier.

"I coached her little league team last year!" she explained with a big smile. And while she chuckled at the coincidence, Brand lost any suspicion in favor of his regular demeanor - actually, a more excited version of his regular demeanor.

"_You're_ Miss Xiao Long?" he asked in disbelief, shooting Blake a surprised look before letting out a deep laugh. "You're one of Zell's favorite people."

"She's definitely one of mine," Yang replied. "She was our star player all season! And just so, _so _sweet. How much honey do you feed her?"

"Too much, believe me," Brand replied with another laugh that made Yang smile.

"Wow, I can totally see the resemblance now," she said while glancing between the photograph and Brand. "But from the way she described your job, I thought you were a cop. She brought up 'bad guys' a lot."

When Brand chuckled and shook his head, Blake silently backed away from the conversation and watched from afar. If anyone was going to have an issue with Yang's presence, it was Brand. He'd worked here the longest, was the oldest, and had dealt with far more discrimination than the rest of them. Some of his stories were...harrowing, to say the least. Begrudging acceptance...yes, that's what Blake expected. Not...whatever this was.

"Wow," she muttered under her breath when Brand pulled out an album he kept in his desk and started showing Yang more family photos.

"She's something else, isn't she?" Velvet commented, having appeared by Blake's side to watch the interaction unfold.

"She coached Grizzell on some sports team?" Blake asked, still perplexed as to what just happened.

"I think I remember that. She played in a mixed league. He was worried about how everyone would treat her."

"Oh. I guess I should have remembered that…"

"The last year has been hard. No one will blame you for forgetting," Velvet reassured her. After briefly biting her bottom lip, Blake shrugged off the inkling of guilt.

"I guess it turned out ok." She nodded towards the two people - human and Faunus - happily chatting in front of them.

"It appears that way," Velvet replied before making a soft "hmm" sound and returning to her desk.

Just like that, the tension disappeared - with Yang talking to Brand, Sun chiming in with his two cents, and the rest of the office going about their business. Discovering that all her worry over Brand's reaction had been for naught, Blake shook her head before sneaking back into her office to officially start her Monday.

How was Yang still surprising her? She thought she was a good judge of character, yet Yang seemed to be going out of the way to prove Blake wrong at all turns. Her effort in the office, while lacking specialized knowledge or experience, wasn't at all subpar. And her ability to get along with others exceeded Blake's wildest dreams. Even Brand..._Brand_, of all people...was quick to accept her into their midst.

Sitting at her desk, Blake absentmindedly finished her tea. It was cold by now, but she hardly noticed while watching Yang walk back to her workstation with a smile that wasn't at all hesitant or unsure. Brand also smiled while picking up the framed photograph of his kids and looking at it lovingly.

Now, Blake couldn't help but wonder what Grizzell had to say about Yang. What did a young child think about her energy? Her enthusiasm was likely infectious. And her nurturing side probably shone through with flying colors around children.

It was probably quite a sight to see.

As the office settled into a rhythm, Blake turned to her computer and forced herself to think about work rather than imagining Yang coaching a team of human and Faunus children. Collecting the estimated sales figures from the weekend, she plugged them into the long-standing history she kept. They were more of the same, unfortunately - a tiny drop that, out of context, would seem like a relatively minor concern. In the greater scheme of things...it was a big deal.

What was she missing? There had to be other ways to gain publicity. Ways to attract more readers, both human and Faunus.

But some days - and it felt like today was going to be one of them - she felt like she was in way over her head. She wasn't a businesswoman. She wasn't a brand marketer. She was a writer.

At least, she had been a writer...but then The Voice needed someone to take the helm, and she volunteered when there was no one else. She was naive back then...believing it would be easy - that if they worked hard enough and were true to who they were, they would find success.

Her own life didn't work that way, so why had she been foolish enough to believe work would be different? Collectively, they'd written wonderful articles and never sacrificed their Faunus identity. They worked just as hard, if not harder, than any of the other journalists in Vale. But, at the end of the day, they were Faunus. Working harder would never be enough.

As the day marched on, and people came and went on their assignments, she tore through her morning tasks. The faster she got the menial housekeeping issues out of the way, the faster she got back to working on articles for the next edition. In the midst of studying another set of numbers, however, two quiet knocks drew her attention away from the screen, and she found Yang standing by the door.

"Hey, sorry to bother you -"

"No, it's ok. Come in." Checking the time and finding nearly half the day had already fallen away, she sighed and rubbed her tired eyes. "What's up?"

"I had a question on this," Yang said while holding up the paper Blake had given her that morning. "For creating a catalog of Velvet's photos, do you want it to be something everyone can access or more of a 'just for Velvet' thing?"

"Oh -" Even though she still remembered the task, Blake looked at what she wrote down while thinking of a response. "I hadn't thought about the rest of the office using it. Are we even able to do that?"

"I think so." Nonplussed by the greater endeavor, Yang shrugged. "I mean, might as well give it a try, right? I'm imagining this big database that we can all use - search by keyword and it brings up the photos to choose from."

"That sounds like it might be beyond our scope of resources…"

"Maybe, but who knows! I'll see if there's a service or something that does it…" Pausing, Yang suddenly appeared less confident in her suggestion. "I mean, if that's something you'd want?"

"Of course. That sounds like a solution we could use, as long as it's free." After glancing at the screen, Blake shook her head. "We don't exactly have spare money lying around right now."

When Yang followed Blake's gaze, she gave the computer a thoughtful look.

"You're looking at a...P&L chart?"

"You're familiar with them?" Blake asked, mildly surprised when Yang nodded.

"Yeah, kinda. Weiss goes over them all the time. She explained how she uses them."

"Then you can read what this says." Blake gestured towards the lines, which pointed in a definitive downward direction.

"Uh, yeah, kinda," Yang replied, fidgeting under Blake's gaze. "I mean, Weiss only vaguely explained and in a different setting. I wouldn't want to assume…or anything..."

Sensing that the topic was making Yang uncomfortable, Blake changed it.

"You and Weiss are close?" she asked, realizing that she still had no idea what their relationship might be. The more comments Yang made, the more Blake believed they had something _more_ than a simple employer-employee relationship.

"We are." After pausing for a second, Yang chuckled. "Certainly didn't start out that way, but we are now."

Blake nodded and filed away that bit of knowledge for future analysis.

"She's not at all what anyone expects her to be," Yang added while meeting Blake's gaze, as if hoping Blake would agree with that statement.

"That seems to be the theme," Blake muttered before shooting another look at the clock and standing to stretch her legs.

"Huh?"

"I wholeheartedly agree," she said with a smile. "I think I'm going to get some fresh air. Would you like to come with me?"

"Uh, yeah, sure!"

With that acceptance, Blake grabbed her keys and headed out of the office, leaving everything on her desk in mid-completion. "We'll be right back," she told Velvet on their way out. "Going for a quick walk."

Receiving a nod and smile from Velvet, she turned and made sure Yang was following her before heading down the stairs and out into the midday sun. After taking a deep breath of warm air, she sighed it out in content while the sun's rays heated her skin.

"It's nice out," Yang commented from beside her.

"It is. And nice to get out of the office for a bit."

Picking a direction and heading that way, she kept to the sunny parts of the sidewalk, being warmed to a pleasant temperature that was impossible to find without the sun shining down on her. She noticed, however, that Yang gladly walked closer to the buildings - sticking to the shadows where it was a little cooler.

"So...you know Brand's daughter?" Blake eventually asked, turning to the side in time to watch Yang laugh.

"Yeah, I do. Zell was on the little league team I coached last year." Yang chuckled again as they stopped at an intersection and waited to cross. "It was a lot of fun - we called ourselves the Batter Bees."

"The Batter Bees?"

"Yeah, cuz there's no one _batter_," Yang replied, shooting Blake a grin that was way too thrilled for her not to laugh.

"That sounds like fun," Blake agreed while they crossed the street together. The two of them lapsed into silence for a few paces then, but it was nowhere near as uncomfortable as it had once been. Still, Yang spoke up relatively quickly.

"You know, Weiss personally funded the league."

"She did?"

"Yup. Paid for all the equipment and field time. Heck, she even paid for us to get jerseys." Yang smiled at the memory. "The kids had a field day with those - got their names printed on the back and everything."

"That was nice of her," Blake replied, although she was taken aback by the news. It was one thing to help sponsor a sports league for children, or to have a company sponsor it, but to pay out of her own pocket?

"I told you, she's not what anyone thinks of her."

Brow furrowing, Blake studied Yang as they continued walking, searching for the real meaning behind that statement. She wanted to say that Yang and Weiss were close friends, but that felt fonder than mere friends.

Shaking her head and deciding she was reading too much into it, Blake gestured for Yang to follow her to the right. The two of them turned the corner and continued, making a giant square that would eventually lead them back to the office.

"I'm surprised you could get players," she commented.

"That was a bit of a problem. We ended up having fewer teams, but I'm hoping this year we'll have more."

"Will you coach again?"

"Definitely. It was a blast."

"How did it work...having the Faunus there?" Blake asked, finding that she was more curious than she initially thought. But the idea of a cross-cultural team of children was fascinating, and she had a first-hand source of information to get answers from.

"You know...once you get them out on the field running around, it doesn't really matter. There were some small incidents, but nothing a firm talking-to didn't fix. They just love to play. And in the case of my team - win."

When Yang grinned at the boast, Blake actually laughed.

"Are you sure it was the _kids _who loved winning?" she teased.

"Oh yeah, they definitely did!" Yang answered with a big smile. "I _might've _had a blast rubbing it in the other coaches' faces, but it was mostly about the kids!"

Blake chuckled at the semi-honest answer and shook her head at the image of Yang teasing her fellow coaches about their constant losing.

"Grizzell was the star of the entire league though," Yang added. "You should've seen her when she stepped up to plate." When Yang stopped on the sidewalk, Blake turned to watch her assume a batter's position before swinging an imaginary bat and shielding her eyes to watch an imaginary ball sail away. Satisfied that she'd knocked the ball over the nearest building, Yang dropped her arm and grinned. "She has so much _power_."

"I'd imagine so," Blake said as they continued their walk. "Her entire family is strong."

"Oh! She has a little brother, right?" Yang hopped a step in excitement. "He was in the photos Brand showed me."

"Troy?" Blake asked, amused and curious about Yang's sudden enthusiasm. "Yes, he's a few years younger. I think three years."

"Gotcha." When Yang put a hand on her chin, her brow furrowed in concentration. "I need to find a way to get them _both_ on my team…" she mused. "Then we'd be unstoppable…"

Blake couldn't help but laugh at Yang's plot to take over the little league baseball realm. Coming out of her devious schemes, Yang sent Blake a happy smile before her eyes sparked with another thought.

"Oh, that reminds me," she said, turning sideways to look at Blake while they walked. "I have a question about Brand and Grizzell, if you don't mind me asking."

"Sure. What is it?"

"Well, Brand is, you know, _brown_," Yang began, looking moderately uncomfortable but continuing regardless. "How did she...turn out blonde?"

"Ah." Blake nodded at the question, which was a good one. Also, it wasn't one many thought to ask. Or maybe, from Yang's current expression, one that many weren't comfortable asking.

"Her mom is a polar," she explained. "Has hair as white as snow. Her brother is brown like Brand, but Grizzell is a golden bear - that's why she has that gold-blonde color. It's a genetic trait...must be on Brand's side of the family somewhere."

"That's cool! So it's a rare color?"

"Very rare," Blake answered with a nod.

"She's gonna be a real beauty when she grows up," Yang commented, absentmindedly swinging her arms while they turned another corner. "Brand's gonna be beating the boys away with a stick. But first, I've gotta keep the other coaches from stealing her away from me…"

While Yang pondered the dilemma, Blake glanced sideways in interest. Some of the comments Yang made were surprising and a bit...unusual. She definitely didn't speak how Blake would expect someone of her...kind...to speak.

"Can you imagine how scary he'll be with the first guy she brings home?" Yang shook her head and laughed again. "If it's anything like this morning, I'd probably wet myself."

With that comment, Blake finally figured out what it was - Yang spoke about Faunus as if they led regular lives, as if they were regular people. Whether it was naivety or just plain wishful thinking, Blake couldn't quite tell. It didn't _seem_ like Yang was naive to the troubles Faunus faced, yet she spoke about them without the glare of the world.

After several seconds of silence, Blake decided to find out which it might be.

"You realize it's unlikely Zell will have that many people after her?" she pointed out. "What with her being a Faunus, and one of the less common ones at that?"

"Yeah, I know…" Yang mumbled, scuffing one toe on the sidewalk as if wishing for a stone to kick. "Can't hurt to dream though, can it?"

The smile Yang flashed Blake's way was so unabashedly sad and hopeful that she felt guilty for dashing that pleasant future with a heavy dose of reality. It answered her question though - Yang wasn't naive, she was a dreamer.

"Good thing you're too old for her," Blake added in an attempt to restore the light mood from moments ago. "Because I think Brand currently likes you."

When Yang laughed, Blake smiled at the joyful sound.

"I'm more into brunettes anyway," Yang replied, sending Blake a wink that made her blush in startled confusion. "Two blondes is like...way too much blonde, ya know?" Yang continued, gesturing with her hands as if that should make complete sense.

Quickly regaining her composure, but unsure of how to respond, Blake noticed that they were near a change of subject.

"Let's stop in here," she said, gesturing to the easily-missable deli storefront. "We can surprise the office with lunch today," she added while holding the door for Yang and walking in behind her.

A myriad of smells greeted them - each competing for dominance in the crowded space. The deli was small, with room for only two small tables against one wall, each seating only two people, while the main counter lay just a few steps from the front door. Two badgers ate lunch at one of the tables, and both gave Yang a long look before returning to their meals with hushed voices.

Leading them up to the counter, Blake waved towards the chalkboard hung on the wall above it.

"What would you like?" she asked, smiling at the way Yang stared at the menu.

"This is...the most diverse menu I've ever seen..."

"They serve mostly Faunus here. We're kind of known for..._eclectic _tastes."

Yang laughed before shaking her head and turning to Blake.

"What do you normally get?"

"The tuna sandwich."

While Blake waited for a cat joke to appear, Yang simply nodded and said, "That sounds good. I'll try that!"

When a squirrel Faunus bounded over to the counter to help them, Blake smiled.

"Heya! What can I get you?"

"Two number fives," she replied, "A number seven, nine, fifteen, and seventeen."

As she spoke, he scribbled down each number before tearing the slip of paper off the pad. After ringing everything up, he swiped her card, returned it to her, and bounded into the back to prepare their food.

"Let me guess," Yang said while they waited. "The peanut butter and banana is for Sun."

"That's right," Blake answered, but felt a tease appear immediately after. "I'm guessing you saw him eat an entire bunch of bananas last week?"

"_Six_ bananas, Blake. Six!"

She laughed at Yang's surprise at what was not at all surprising. Sun ate bananas like they were going out of style. Or...he ate them like he really liked bananas.

"Do you want to guess the rest?" When Blake nodded to the menu she just ordered their lunches from, Yang grinned.

"I totally got this." Staring at the menu, she raised one hand to her chin as if an answer was coming to her. "Brand gets the salmon sandwich," she said before wrinkling her nose when she read the description. "_Raw_ salmon on bread?"

Smiling at the bewilderment, Blake shrugged. "We all like different things."

"Well, that's true…" Yang mumbled before turning back to the menu. "Ok, let's see...I bet Velvet and Lola are the two salads. The only question is...which one gets which…"

After studying both options, Yang came to a conclusion. "Velvet gets the spinach with fresh fruit. And Lola's is the garden greens with all the veggies."

Impressed with the answer, Blake nodded. "How did you figure that out?" she asked, to which Yang laughed and shot her a grin.

"Snack habits, Blake. You can learn a _lot_ about someone from what they snack on."

"I didn't realize we were giving so much away with our finger foods," Blake replied, smiling when Yang laughed again.

"Well _you're_ not. This sandwich will be the first thing I've ever seen you eat. Seriously, I don't know how you're not starving or super angry. I get angry when I don't eat!"

"How do you know I don't eat?" Blake asked, giving Yang a playful smile as the squirrel Faunus rushed back to them and set two brown paper bags on the counter. "What if I wait until you're not paying attention?"

When Blake picked up one of the bags, Yang quickly grabbed the other.

"You'd have to be pretty dang sneaky to get away with that."

"And you don't think I'm sneaky?" Raising one brow, Blake watched Yang try to find a response.

"I mean, I bet you are, but why would you do that?"

Blake shrugged and smiled as they walked out of the deli. "To confuse you, I suppose," she replied before giving Yang a more serious glance. "So...what do your snacks say about you, Yang?"

Lifting the bag in her hands, Yang grinned.

"I'm willing to try anything. _Except _whatever you just got for Victor. What the heck is 'owlmeal' anyway?"

"You probably don't want to know."

Yang made a face but didn't ask. "I have to say…" she replied instead. "You're like the best boss ever."

Caught off guard by the compliment, Blake said, "I wouldn't consider myself anyone's boss..."

"Exactly. So you treat everyone equally."

This time, she grimaced when she remembered how she _hadn't _planned on treating Yang equally.

"Plus, you remember everyone's lunch order," Yang carried on. "What boss does that? I'm telling Weiss - she forgot my birthday last year."

"Did she really?"

"Well, only in the morning. By the afternoon she'd scrounged together a gift, but still."

The idea of Weiss putting together a last-minute present made Blake smile and shake her head. It was fascinating to think about Weiss in the way Yang presented her - a much friendlier, more normal way, where she forgot birthdays and paid for little league uniforms. The actions didn't mesh with the image in Blake's mind, but it was the same person...just seen through different eyes.

If talking to Yang was accomplishing anything, it made Blake believe they might have a shot at winning Weiss' support. Sure, she probably wouldn't be impressed that Blake could remember a lunch order, but it seemed like Yang liked them. If Yang gave a good report, would that be enough?

By now, Blake knew better than to put her hopes in the hands of a human she'd only known for several days, but for whatever reason, she felt hopeful. Maybe it was the walk, which rejuvenated her mind, or Yang's energy, which rejuvenated her spirit. Whatever it was, she felt lighter than she had in quite some time.

With the office building in sight, she was ready to go back to work. The stress of everything she needed to accomplish crept back into her mind, but at a more moderate weight than before. It felt more...manageable.

"Thank you for the walk," she said while Yang held the door for her.

"No problem. It's good to take a break during the day. Get some fresh air, stretch your legs...I'm always down for a walk if you want to go again."

"Maybe I'll take you up on that."

Reaching the third floor and walking out of the stairwell, Yang made it to the office door first and again held it open for Blake. After walking inside, she found that everything was as they'd left it, with their coworkers working or softly chatting amongst themselves.

"Who wants lunch?" she asked while Yang held up the bag of food. Ears perked up and smiles swept the office at the news. Setting her bag on Yang's desk, Blake pulled out the contents and handed the first sandwich to Brand when he walked over.

"You're a lifesaver," he said before lifting it to his nose to sniff. "I was starving."

"Would you say you just _barely_ made it?" Yang joked. Brand's eyes lit up when he understood the pun, and his deep laugh rumbled out.

"I _would _say that!" he replied while giving Yang a happy pat on the shoulder - a pat with enough force to send her stumbling forward. Quickly reaching out, Blake caught Yang's arm to steady her while Brand walked back to his desk.

"Just _barely_," he repeated to himself with another chuckle. "I'm going to use that at home tonight..."

Realizing she was still holding Yang's arm, Blake let go and smiled while Yang looked at her with wide eyes - having nearly been knocked off her feet by a mere congratulatory tap.

"Yeah, I'd wet myself for sure," she whispered out of the corner of her mouth, and Blake let out a surprised laugh, which caught a curious look from Velvet as she collected her salad.

"Thanks, Blake," Velvet said as her eyes darted to Yang. "I'm surprised you made it out of the office before it was dark."

Accepting her tuna sandwich from Yang with a "Thank you," Blake turned Velvet's way. "I'm trying to take more breaks so you can stop worrying about me," she replied, the answer making Velvet smile as she returned to her desk.

Looking around the office and finding everyone contentedly unwrapping their lunches, she nodded to herself before heading towards her office.

"Ok, Sun, come tell me how your weekend was," she said, walking into her office as Sun gleefully skipped in behind her. Unwrapping her food and preparing to work while semi-listening to what he had to say, she shot one last look at Yang.

The day was only half over, yet it was already going far differently than she'd expected. Whether that was because she was horrible at anticipating Yang's actions or Yang was just that unexpectedly surprising, she couldn't tell. What she did know was that she was almost excited to see what would happen next.


	7. Chapter 7

How much difference could a simple walk make?

Apparently, quite a difference. That, combined with eating a real lunch, worked wonders in keeping Blake's energy up throughout the day. She listened to Sun recount his weekend while outlining The Voice's layout for the week. After he finished his spiel and got back to work, she ran through the rest of the sales figures, wrapped up the week's accounting, edited a couple of Victor's articles from the week prior, and ended her day by sending a half-page worth of emails seeking more advertisers.

All-in-all, an extremely productive day, as far as Mondays went. It was actually _so _productive that by the time Sun raced out the door to catch up with Velvet, and Victor talked Brand's ear off with five-syllable words while Lola laughed at Brand's disgruntled replies, Blake was...content...with what she'd accomplished. There was more work to be done, of course, but there was always more work to be done.

Drumming her fingers on her desk, she checked her inbox - currently at zero unread messages - then looked at her stack of editing - currently only two articles. Using those two data points to make a decision, she powered down the computer and packed up her bag. Before leaving, however, she walked out into the main portion of the office, where Yang was still sitting.

"Hey Yang." When Yang tore her attention away from the large book laying open on her desk, Blake took one look at it and smiled. "What're you working on?"

"Victor gave me this -" After briefly holding up the dictionary, Yang set it back on her desk with a soft thump. "And asked me to find five words he's never heard before."

Considering the expression on Yang's face and the copious notes scrawled on an open notebook, Blake laughed at the task. Of course Victor asked Yang to do something like that.

"How's it going?"

"Not well!" Yang shook her head but laughed at her plight. "I'm pretty sure he's memorized the whole thing."

"That's a suspicion I've had for quite some time," Blake replied. "If you find any, please let me know - because I'm sure he'll immediately throw them into every article he can."

"Will do. On the plus side, I've learned some great words." Briefly glancing at the notebook, Yang read a few words before smiling. "Unfortunately, I'm not _polemic _enough to stop him from expanding my vocabulary."

"I'd be careful though," Blake replied without missing a beat. "We don't want you to fall into _ennui _having to read that for too long."

Eyes widening at the term, Yang looked at the dictionary and laughed - a light, happy laugh that made Blake smile.

"Apparently, I have more to learn," Yang said before gesturing to Blake's office. "You heading out?"

"I was thinking about it...unless you want to keep working? I can wait -"

"No no! Please don't stay late for me." Hurriedly grabbing her phone and keys, Yang shoved everything into her bag and shot to her feet. "If you're going to leave on time, no way I'm making you stay."

"Then I guess I'll leave now." Earning a quick grin at the comment, Blake headed back into her office and retrieved her bag. Upon doing so, she was surprised to find Yang waiting for her by the door, evidently planning to walk out together. It wasn't often that she left the office with someone else, mostly because she normally left last, but she appreciated the gesture as she rejoined Yang.

"Hold on," she said before flipping the light switch and pulling the door closed behind them. Once they were standing in the hall, she fit her key into the lock and turned until she felt the deadbolt slide into place. Trying the door anyway, out of habit, she only turned around when it refused to budge.

"We good?" Yang asked once Blake turned her way.

"All locked up."

With a nod and smile, Yang waved Blake away from the door - almost as if ensuring that Blake actually left rather than run back inside to work some more. But she was tired, and she was done working - there would always be more tomorrow.

"Heading home now?" she asked while the two of them headed downstairs.

"Yeah. I promised my sister I'd make dinner for her tonight."

"What are you making?"

"Spaghetti - her favorite."

"Ah, spaghetti is good."

"Yeah, and she eats it like it's going out of style."

With Yang chuckling at the comment, Blake smiled - only to be surprised when they reached the lobby and she saw several people heading out at the same time as them. That's when she remembered that _most_ people headed home around now - a reasonable time that she normally missed by a couple of hours.

"Do you feel weird that the sun's still out?" Yang asked as they made it to the busier-than-normal sidewalk.

"Honestly, yes." Feeling like this was when they should go their separate ways, Blake shifted her bag on her shoulder and cast a glance towards some of the other workers heading home. Yang, however, never lost that happy grin.

"So," Blake said after a couple seconds of silence. "Have you thought about setting up a league for a Faunus sport too?"

"A Faunus sport?" Through the mere tilt of her head, Yang gave Blake a look that asked for more information.

"We have our own games that are quite popular - at least, amongst Faunus," Blake explained, not at all surprised by Yang's unfamiliarity with them. Most Faunus played the regular human sports, but there were quite a few they had of their own.

"Like what?"

"Well, like Thunderball…"

As soon as Blake said the word, Yang grinned - obviously interested in learning more.

"What's Thunderball?"

"It's…" Trying and failing to come up with a cohesive way to describe it, Blake eventually shook her head. "It's like basketball, and played on a basketball court, but every section of the backboard is worth some amount of points."

"So...if someone just hits the backboard with the ball, they score?"

"Yes, but there's more strategy than that, and fewer rules." Pausing, Blake tried to remember any specific rules but none came to mind. "It's been a while since I've watched, and I never knew all the rules to begin with."

"But it sounds fun! Do you know where I can see it?"

As seemed to be the case, new Faunus knowledge excited Yang when few others would care. Blake could probably mention Thunderball to hundreds of humans and receive only mediocre interest in response, but Yang operated differently - she wanted to know all about it, and she wanted to _see_ it.

"Sometimes they play in the parks around here at night," Blake answered, shifting her bag again and waving in the direction of the nearest basketball court. "Just depends on if they get a game together, I guess."

"So check out the park at night. Got it." Looking in the direction Blake just referenced, Yang gave a firm nod. "Maybe I'll check it out before heading home for dinner." With that goal set, she smiled and backed away. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Do you even know where the park is?" Blake asked instead, and found her answer in the slight dent that appeared in Yang's grin.

"Uh, I mean, can't be too hard to find, can it?" Confidence suddenly restored, Yang smiled and shrugged. "If I get lost, I'll just ask for directions."

For a brief moment, Blake considered letting Yang wander off on her own. The park wasn't _too_ difficult to find, after all. And yes, most Faunus in the area should be able to point her in the right direction if she got lost. But Blake knew exactly where the park was...and she was walking that direction anyway.

"I can show you." Even though Yang's brow rose in surprise, she nodded and returned to Yang's side.

"Oh, that's ok. I don't want to take your time or anything -"

"It's fine," Blake replied with a reassuring smile. "I don't mind."

Yang's eyes gave away her intention of saying 'yes' before her smile did. "As long as you don't mind," she added. "I'd appreciate it."

With a shake of her head to emphasize that she didn't mind at all, Blake waved in the direction they needed to go. "Shall we?" she asked before walking forward, and Yang quickly fell into step beside her.

It wasn't until the first person who passed gave them a second glance that Blake realized how strange they must look. Were they an odd pair, or did something else drew attention their way? Whatever it was, she maintained a few extra inches between them and tried to push away that sense of discomfort as they headed towards the park.

"Do you know any other Faunus sports?" Yang asked - the perfect distraction from Blake's subtle unease. "Ones that are easy for kids to play?"

"Sun would be the best one to ask about that. He's basically an encyclopedia of Faunus sports."

"That's a great idea! I'll ask him. Then maybe we can have a baseball league _and _a Faunus sport league."

Even though Blake's initial question had been off the cuff, she was pleasantly surprised by Yang's quick acceptance. Would they actually set up a Faunus-human league that played a Faunus sport? And was it as easy as suggesting the idea for something like that to come true?

If humans were interested in playing, it might expand understanding of Faunus lifestyles...or even help a Faunus pastime grow more popular with the general public.

"You wanna be one of the coaches?" Yang suddenly asked. "We could always use more."

"Oh, thanks, but I don't have much free time at the moment..." Realizing that the polite decline was only partially honest, Blake added, "Plus, I don't think I'd be very good at it."

"It's just kid wrangling - trying to keep them from hurting themselves, hurting each other, crying, or peeing their pants." When Blake made a face at the image, Yang laughed. "Think about it, at least!"

"Ok, I will."

"Keep in mind that you'll probably lose anyway," Yang teased.

"Wow. Cocky, are we?" Shooting Yang a glance, Blake found a playful smile aimed her way.

"Hey, I might not be good at...a lot of things...but I can get a group of tiny kids to run in the same direction at once."

"Well, we all have something," Blake replied, surprising herself as well as Yang with the lighthearted tease. When Yang laughed, Blake smiled to herself while they left the office buildings behind and moved into more populated areas - at least, more populated at night. Energetic conversations filtered to the sidewalk from the restaurants they passed, combined with the smells of food and bustle of wait staff serving customers sitting in the outdoor patio areas.

"Have you ever been here before?" Blake asked while gesturing to the area around them. Unsurprisingly, Yang shook her head.

"I might've passed through once or twice but never stopped. I live on the east side though, so I spend most of my time around there."

It felt like Yang was offering an excuse for the answer, as if she was embarrassed by her unfamiliarity with the heavily Faunus section of town. The excuse was unnecessary though, as they all lived in their separate worlds.

"There are some good places to eat if you know where to look," Blake said, keeping the conversation shallow to steer them away from potentially heavier topics.

"Any suggestions?"

"Sure -" Passing a busy restaurant that served cheap drinks on Mondays and attracted quite a crowd, Blake heard a loud laugh. The sound was so out of place and boisterous that it drew her gaze to one of the tables on the patio. The moment she found the source of the noise, however, she wished she'd never looked.

After accidentally making eye contact with one of the young men sitting at a table near the railing, she turned away the moment she saw a leer growing on his lips. But it was already too late - she'd caught his attention.

"Hereeee kitty," he called out to her, much to the disdain of the Faunus waitress standing nearby. "Hereeee kitty kitty."

When he and his friends broke into laughter, Blake clenched her jaw and walked past without sparing them another look.

"Aww, don't you want to play?" another one called after her.

"_Hey_ -"

Hearing the tone, she grabbed Yang's arm and dragged her away from the restaurant. "Don't," was all she said, keeping a firm grip so that Yang wouldn't turn back. It was only when the sounds of laughter faded behind them that she released her grip and resituated her bag over her shoulder.

"It's not worth it," she added with a shake of her head when she saw the disbelief in Yang's eyes.

The response sent a flurry of emotions through lilac eyes - questions upon questions appearing and finally disappearing when Yang turned away. After shooting one last glance over her shoulder - the restaurant nearly out of sight - she turned forward and walked in silence for a long time. Blake could practically feel waves of heat emanating from her as she smoldered in anger - way more anger than Blake herself currently felt.

"You don't need to be upset," she finally said in an attempt to relieve the fiery temperature. Instantly diffusing, Yang let out a long sigh and slumped her shoulders as if being pressed down by some invisible weight.

"It just...makes me feel sick." Her unhappiness lay heavily in her tone, dragging the usually upbeat cheer right out of it.

"It happens all the time -" Blake began to say, but stopped when Yang gave a firm shake of her head.

"I know. That doesn't make it any better."

With Yang openly fuming, Blake watched curiously - forgetting about the idiot humans at the restaurant in favor of trying to figure out what was going through Yang's mind. She seemed genuinely upset - not for herself, but on Blake's behalf.

"I don't understand," Blake finally said aloud. "Why do you like Faunus so much?"

"I like people in general," Yang replied, throwing her hands in the air as if trying to encapsulate anyone and everyone. "I love their quirks and personalities. But the Faunus I've met have always been more fascinating than anyone else."

"I don't know if I would say fascinating…"

"You don't think you're fascinating?" Yang asked, losing her anger when she caught Blake's gaze.

"Not at all."

"But you are!" Yang insisted, again motioning with her hands for emphasis as they drew nearer to the park. "You're extremely devoted to this wonderful paper and group of workers. You're passionate. Successful. Great at what you do. And you're gorgeous and don't even realize it."

Blake felt a blush coming on, but Yang moved forward as if the compliments were common knowledge.

"I've met a lot of people, but you're way up there with the group of most fascinating. Definitely."

Unsure of how to respond to so much flattery, Blake allowed them to walk the next block in silence - the incident at the restaurant feeling like nothing more than a blip on her radar as she parsed through what Yang just said. She didn't feel successful, and she wouldn't say beautiful either, but...it was nice that someone else saw her that way.

"We're here," were the next words she used, keeping her voice quiet and nodding across the street. A group of Faunus were already at the basketball court, but it looked like they were playing traditional basketball - easy to tell when they sent the ball through the fraying nets hanging from the rims.

"They're not playing Thunderball tonight," she commented before giving Yang a regretful glance. "Sorry."

Observing the scrimmage from a distance, Yang narrowed her eyes and considered her options. It wasn't long before she turned back to Blake with a smile.

"Well, let's go over and ask them."

Before the sentence even sank in, Yang was already crossing the street. Blake actually had to jog several paces to catch up, suddenly following Yang instead of the other way around.

When Yang said 'ask them,' did she actually mean…?

As Yang walked purposefully up to the side of the court, Blake realized that the statement _literally_ meant walk over and ask. Feeling a flush of embarrassment while following Yang towards a set of rundown benches sitting beside the cracked cement pad, Blake's flustered surprise only grew when Yang waved towards the assorted group of Faunus.

"Hey guys!"

The unexpected introduction caught the eye of a tiger Faunus, who stopped playing right as the ball was passed his way - resulting in it bouncing off of his side before rolling away. The rest of the game quickly came to a halt, and every curious eye fell upon Yang.

"Uh, hey," the tiger Faunus replied while a tall leopard picked up the ball and held it in both hands. "Can we help you?"

"Maybe," Yang replied with that same pure smile that always threw Blake off guard. "My friend just told me about Thunderball." When Yang motioned in Blake's direction, Blake shook her head - fearing their judgment as they looked at her in surprise. "I was wondering if you guys knew how to play?"

Whatever they'd expected from a strange human walking over out of the blue, it certainly hadn't been that. The tiger looked at his friends, many of whom chuckled and nodded, before turning back to Yang with a grin.

"Do we know how to play Thunderball..." he replied with a laugh. "Hey guys, screw basketball. Let's play some Thunderball for the ladies!"

The leopard Faunus slapped one hand against the ball while the rest of the Faunus moved back to the court, finding various positions and discussing strategies amongst themselves. After tossing the ball to one of his teammates, the leopard jogged over to Yang.

"Name's Ben," he introduced himself while reaching out to shake Yang's hand.

"Yang. And this is Blake."

When Yang introduced her, Blake politely shook Ben's hand. With a nod and a grin, he stood beside Yang and gestured to the court.

"You've never seen Thunderball before?" he asked as the other Faunus split into two teams.

"I've never even _heard_ of it before a few minutes ago," Yang answered. To Blake, the honesty was unexpected - Yang freely announcing her ignorance. Yet somehow...it wasn't insulting. It was refreshing, actually - and, from Ben's smile, he felt the same.

"You're in for a treat then. There's four on a team, and no dribbling."

One of the substitute players stood in the center of the court and prepared to toss the ball in the air, similar to the start of a traditional basketball game.

"We play to two hundred points," Ben explained quickly, as the game was about to begin. "You score ten by hitting the backboard only - no rim, no net. We call it a 'clean board.'"

As he spoke, the ball was tossed into the air and tipped backward when the tiger Faunus out-leaped a wolf. The first team to take possession immediately launched it towards the other side of the court, where it banged off the backboard before being caught by the opposing team prior to hitting the ground. The Faunus who caught it clanged the ball off the rim before passing it to a teammate and moving towards the other side of the court.

"You only get five points if the other team catches the ball before it hits the ground and knocks it off the rim. We call it 'clearing five,'" Ben explained when Yang opened her mouth to ask the question. "But you have to hit the rim _without _hitting the backboard - or else they get fifteen points."

Nodding at the rapid explanation, Yang watched the action unfold with wide eyes. "What do you call that?" she asked, and looked up at Ben when he laughed.

"A screw-up."

Staring at him to see if he was being serious, Yang chuckled after he nodded.

"Ok, I think I got it. Clearing five, clean board is ten, screwing up means fifteen points -"

The Faunus flew past them on the court, where the ball changed possession and was lofted towards the opposing goal just as quickly. One of the Faunus caught it off the backboard and tried to hit it off the rim to deduct five points, but the tiger Faunus deflected the shot and pushed the ball into the board a second time. Then the players laughed and goaded each other as fifteen points were awarded and the ball raced the other way.

In case Yang wondered where 'Thunderball' came from, the name should be readily apparent now. As each shot was launched towards the backboard, it bounced off with a boom that sounded a bit like thunder.

The ball was thrown at many different angles and speeds, that Yang watched the action intently. And Blake watched Yang - curious but amazed at how interested she was in anything related to Faunus. Most people would see Thunderball and think it was weird. Yang saw it and…

"This is the _best_ sport ever," she breathed out before turning and catching Blake mid-stare. Undisturbed, Yang grinned before turning back to the game.

Yang seemed to love learning about Faunus...in a way that implied genuine interest and respect for their culture.

The game moved fast, and the points racked up even faster. After a few minutes of non-stop action, a pause was reached, and players on both teams gladly found their water bottles during the unofficial halftime. Having been so busy observing Yang's reactions, Blake hadn't kept track of who was winning, but one of the teams must have reached one hundred points.

"Ben!" the tiger Faunus called out during the pause before waving Ben away from the sidelines. "You're up!"

The two then switched places beside Yang - the tiger breathing heavily from all the running he'd just done.

"Tony, by the way," he said, giving them a tilt of the head while keeping his hands on his hips. "You have any questions?"

"Uh, yeah," Yang said, and glanced at Blake before smiling at the boy. "Can I try?"

Blake's ears flicked in surprise at the request, but Tony laughed.

"For sure!" he said before looking at Blake. "You wanna try too?"

"Oh." Shaking her head at the offer, she gave a polite smile. "I think I'll stick to watching."

"You sure?" he asked while Yang gave her an encouraging nod, but Blake held her ground and waved them off to the court.

"I'm sure. Thank you."

Shrugging off the decline, Tony led Yang to the middle of the court. "Ronnie, dude, you're out," Ben said then, sending another Faunus to the sideline so Yang could play.

"'K, so you probably want to shoot like this," Ben instructed, demonstrating the motion with the ball. Instead of shooting like a normal basketball, he swung his arm overhand with a slight twist at the end. "If you put some spin on it, it'll bounce away from the rim."

"And try to tap the front of the rim," someone else offered. "The back half will send it into the board."

"Uh, got it," Yang said before looking around at the group of Faunus eager to teach her a new sport. "You guys realize I haven't played regular basketball since middle school, right?"

"Naw, you got this," Tony replied with a smile. "Plus, you've got me on your team - no way we lose." When he winked, his friends gave him a few playful shoves before moving into their starting positions.

Seeing how comfortable Yang was in a group of Faunus - male Faunus, of course - Blake considered taking her leave. But...she had nothing important planned, and she was interested in seeing how this went.

So, instead of leaving, she took a seat on one of the benches and watched Yang set up with her team. She wasn't dressed for a game of Thunderball, but thankfully wore shoes that looked sturdy enough to hold up. And after tying her long, blonde hair up in a ponytail, she signaled that she was ready.

The instant the ball went back into play, hectic energy started up again. However, the boys took it easier on Yang. Ben covered her, and moved at a slower pace while giving her hints as to where she should run to get open.

The first pass she received, Ben motioned for her to shoot - which she did, trying to mimic the motion he showed her earlier. The ball spun off her fingertips and...missed the backboard entirely.

Laughing at the failure while the other team retrieved the ball, Yang ran back to play defense as soon as play started up again. After the other team scored, Tony and the rest of Yang's team made every attempt to get the ball back to her. As soon as she caught another pass, she showed no hesitation lofting up another shot, with Ben making a half-hearted attempt to block it.

Everyone watched the ball as it hit the backboard, but ricocheted off the rim before being picked up by the other team and ran the other way.

Even though Yang shook her head, she didn't stop smiling while chasing after Ben. When he playfully tried to trip her with his tail, she made a grab for it, and they both laughed while jostling for position. Then he caught a quick pass over the middle of the court, jumped, and launched the ball over Yang's head.

More points for Ben's team but, again, the other members of Yang's team refused to shoot - opting instead to pass her the ball as much as possible. With the ball in her hands around the traditional three-point mark, she tossed up another shot - and this one thudded off the backboard cleanly. When the other team tried to follow up, Tony knocked the ball off course and it hit the rim, then the backboard before falling away.

Fifteen points.

While the boys cheered and gave Yang high fives, Blake couldn't help but feel amazed at how quickly they accepted her into their midst. Not only that, but they were going out of their way to make sure she had a good time.

She definitely was. A smile refused to leave her lips as she ran up and down the court - alternatively chasing and being chased by a leopard Faunus who was enjoying himself as much as she was. As a group, they were quick to laughter and playful jeers alike and, even though she wasn't playing, Blake found that she was having an equally enjoyable time watching them. They were out here having fun, playing a game, and enjoying the camaraderie and competition that came with it.

How many times had she walked past on the other side of the road but never bothered to stop and watch?

The game ended when Ben's team made it to two hundred points first, but it hardly felt like anyone won or lost. Slaps on the back and high fives were exchanged all around while a short break was silently agreed to.

After each player offered Yang congratulations, she made her way back to Blake with a grin that threatened to break a record - which had already been set pretty high.

"That was so awesome," she said, setting her hands on her hips and taking deep breaths but smiling all the same. A sheen of perspiration ran along her forehead and down her neck, but it quickly evaporated in the cool night air.

"Looks like you were getting the hang of it there at the end."

"Pretty sure they were taking it easy on me," Yang replied with a laugh and turned to the side when Ben walked over to them, his long, spotted tail curling happily behind him.

"You're a natural!" he exclaimed while giving Yang another high five. "Wanna play another game?"

"Ah, thanks, but I should probably go. Supposed to have dinner with my sister tonight."

After looking briefly disappointed, Ben gave them both another smile and heading back to the Faunus, who looked ready to start another game. "If you ever want to play again, we're here pretty much every night," he said while walking backwards away from them. "Could always use another player!"

"You know, I'll probably take you up on that sometime."

When he grinned at the response and waved, Yang waved back before turning to Blake.

"Ok, I'm sold. I'll talk to Sun tomorrow about what other sports there are to play."

"You like it that much?" Blake asked, pleasantly surprised by how much Yang liked such an unconventional sport.

"Uh, yeah. That was so much fun!"

"Yang!" someone shouted as soon as the two of them turned to leave. Looking back, they found Tony pointing in Yang's direction. "You better come play again!"

"I will!" Yang promised before chuckling to herself while she and Blake headed back the way they came.

"Seems like you made some new friends," Blake commented as they walked away. By this point, however, she shouldn't be surprised by Faunus tripping over themselves to make a good impression on Yang.

"They're cool guys. It was nice of them to let me play."

"Ben seemed to really like you." The moment Blake pointed out the obvious, she wished that she hadn't. It sounded almost envious when spoken aloud, but Yang's response was a soft chuckle as they crossed the street together.

"Is it just me or did he have the most gorgeous eyes you've ever seen?"

"Oh, well, I guess…" Blake replied, the lack of enthusiastic agreement drawing Yang's more vibrant lilac eyes her way.

And Yang looked in Blake's eyes before turning away and mumbling, "Second most gorgeous," towards the ground. "Sorry for making you wait, by the way."

Left wondering if that had been a compliment or not, Blake decided to do the same as Yang and brush past it.

"Don't be sorry. It was fun to watch."

"Especially when I air-balled that shot, right?"

"You're lucky none of your little league coaches saw you do that," Blake replied, and smiled when Yang laughed at the joke.

Realizing that the two of them had been standing on the sidewalk across from the park this entire time, Blake looked around while Yang glanced at her watch and made a noise of surprise when she saw what time it was.

"I should really get going," she said before giving Blake an apologetic look. "Ruby's gonna starve if I don't get some food to her soon."

"Ok -"

While Blake was prepared to leave, Yang looked around with a concerned expression.

"Should I walk you home though?" she asked, possibly more to herself than to Blake.

"I think I'm going to run an errand first," Blake cut in before Yang overthought it. "But I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, of course." Fortunately, Yang didn't press the matter while heading in the opposite direction with a wave. "Thanks so much for showing me Thunderball - have a good night!"

After watching Yang set off at a brisk pace, Blake turned and headed the other way. What Yang didn't know, and likely didn't need to know, was that she'd already walked Blake almost all of the way home. Not that it was intentional - it just happened to be the way Blake walked home and also where the park was.

Leaving work early had been more rewarding than expected. If she'd stayed late again, she wouldn't have had the opportunity to walk with Yang or bring up Faunus sports. She wouldn't have had the opportunity to watch someone unexpected be welcomed into an after-hours game at the park.

Changing her schedule seemed to have positive impacts...

In a continuation of that theme, instead of ducking into her apartment building, she walked two blocks further. On the left-hand side of the street was a small, family-owned hardware store. From the hours listed on the door, they would close soon, but she made it there just in time.

"Can I help you?" an older gentleman asked as soon as she walked inside. Reaching into her bag, she found her keys and pulled them out.

"Can you make a copy of a key for me?" she asked, holding up the specific key she wanted copied. Making a noise of acceptance, the man took her keyring and walked over to a large machine to do as requested. After he turned on the motor, a loud rattling noise filled the tiny store.

"Just one?" After sliding the key into the machine, he held up a blank silver key that it would be copied onto.

"Yes, please."

Nodding, he set about making the copy - the sound of grinding metal echoing in the small space as he did so. While waiting, Blake's mind drifted over the evening, where the unfortunate catcalls at the restaurant had been washed away by Thunderball.

She'd always been proud of her heritage. She'd always been proud of who Faunus were and what they'd accomplished regardless of what they've been through. Tonight, she'd shared a bit of that heritage - a goofy sport with an origin that could be traced back to an act of prejudice.

Sharing that little piece of their history with someone open and willing to give it a try was...emotionally satisfying. Yang's acceptance, in a way, confirmed that they weren't just a group of outcasts coming up with a game because their nets had been cut down. They weren't just surviving with leftovers - in some cases, they thrived. They came up with their own rights, their own rituals. And it wasn't all nonsense. Some of it could be enjoyed by groups outside of their own.

"Here you go," the man said, handing Blake her keys and the spare key before heading to the counter to ring up the bill. Looking at the brand new key in her hand, she ran her finger along the crisp edge before dropping it into her bag and finding her wallet to pay.

Yang thought that Faunus were fascinating. Blake hardly felt the same way about humans, but there was one human, in particular, that was more interesting than any of the others she'd met.

If Yang was willing to try out a new sport, then maybe Blake should be willing to try something new, too. Like, for instance, trusting a human with a key to the office.


	8. Chapter 8

Mondays typically wore her down, but Blake felt refreshed and energetic as she made her way to work on Tuesday morning. No, her workload hadn't lessened. No, The Voice wasn't miraculously out of financial trouble. No, the world hadn't suddenly changed overnight. But, for as bad as things could be, everything seemed to be pointing in the right direction.

Brand and Yang got along fine, Yang was helping the office in more ways than one, and the stress of mitigating that situation had disappeared from Blake's shoulders. It initially felt like such an ordeal to have a human observing them for a few weeks but, at this rate, the time would pass quickly.

"Good morning, Yang," she said while stepping out of the stairwell and pulling out her keys. "You beat me again."

"Ah, sorry." After pushing herself to her feet, Yang dusted off the back of her legs and smiled. "I keep waking up early, for some reason."

"It's ok. I'm sorry to keep you waiting."

"Naw, don't worry about it! I've only been here a couple minutes." After following Blake into the office, Yang waved one hand to show she wasn't bothered. "Did you have a good night?"

"It was more of the same," Blake answered while setting her tea and bag down on Yang's desk in order to search for something. "Ah. Here." Buried at the bottom of her bag, she found the shiny, new silver key she had made on her way home last night.

"This is for you," she explained while handing it to Yang. "Now you won't have to wait for me in the morning." Freed of the key, she nearly walked away to get to work, only to pause when she noticed the way Yang stared at it.

"What's wrong?" she asked before smiling. "Don't tell me you wanted a princess-themed one."

The joke was successful, as Yang laughed and finally looked at Blake with bright, grateful eyes.

"No, this is...great. Thank you."

"No problem. Sorry it took so long." Before they delved further into what it 'symbolized,' Blake turned and walked to her office.

Giving Yang a key seemed like a huge deal a few days ago, but that was an overreaction on Blake's part. There wasn't much of value in the office. Plus, based on Yang's...proximity...to Weiss Schnee, she surely didn't need the money a few outdated computers would fetch. It was symbolic more than anything else, but giving her a key was more practical than making her wait in the hall each morning.

Once settled in her office, Blake surreptitiously watched Yang slide the key onto her key ring. With the newest addition in place, she held them up and looked at them for a second before stowing them away with a smile. That smile made Blake smile, which she hid behind her cup as she took a sip of tea.

At least Yang appreciated the gesture, no matter how small.

From there, the morning progressed as normal, with everyone arriving at varied times while Blake went through her emails then sketched a possible layout for this week. Based on what the writers were working on, she created a rough outline and took an educated guess as to which article would make it onto the cover.

It wasn't until Brand knocked on her door that she paused and looked up.

"Good morning, Brand," she said, willingly setting her pen down for a break.

"Morning, Blake. I was wondering if I could borrow Yang for the day?"

"Depends...are you going to bring her back?" Blake half-joked, half-seriously asked. Thankfully, Brand returned her concern with a chuckle.

"I will. I think she can help me with something important."

"Really?" Blake hadn't meant to sound so shocked, but the surprise was practically palpable. Again, why was she so surprised? How many times would she feel this way until she gave Yang a little more credit?

Undisturbed by the dismay, Brand nodded while a smile grew under that full brown beard of his.

"Really."

"Aren't you doing a piece on that bank robber who got himself caught in one of the vaults?"

"I am, but he hasn't been very forthcoming. But Velvet told me how helpful Yang was at the fair, so I thought I'd see if she can help."

"You actually want her to talk to this guy?" Leaning back in surprise, Blake shook her head while thinking about the idea. "I don't know, Brand…"

"Not alone," he assured her. "I want to see if we can run a good cop/bad cop scenario. And I have a sneaky hunch this guy will find it _very _hard not to talk to her."

Picking up on the meaning behind that statement, Blake wrinkled her nose and, after glancing out of the office, sighed when she saw that Yang looked gorgeous, as usual.

"If you're sure…"

"I am. Plus, it'll be great experience for her."

Shaking her head, Blake wrestled with what the right answer might be. Brand wanted to take Yang on a pretty serious assignment - this was a high profile piece that would be a hit with their readers if done well. It was exactly the type of article Blake feared Yang would mess up due to inexperience.

But...if Brand thought Yang would be helpful, Blake's job was to support him. At the same time, she didn't want Yang to jeopardize Brand's work. And, most importantly, she didn't know how she felt about Yang talking to some sleazy bank robber.

"We'll let her decide," she finally said. "If she wants to go, then feel free to see what she can do."

Receiving Brand's nod of approval, Blake walked to her office door and found Yang and Victor discussing the piece of paper in Yang's hand. Once it looked like they were finished speaking, Blake called over.

"Yang, could you come here?" she asked, waving Yang over. When Yang walked into the office, she stood comfortably next to Brand - even though she looked relatively puny in his imposing presence.

"Brand has something he could use your help with today," Blake said.

"Oh yeah?" Yang grinned up at Brand. "Whatcha need, Papa Bear?"

Blake gave Brand a surprised look, but he was all smiles at the nickname.

"I'd like you to interview a criminal with me," he explained. "He was caught trying to rob Vale Credit Union a few weeks ago."

Yang's jaw dropped while her eyes widened.

"Are you...serious?"

"Yes. We're going to play some good cop/bad cop to get a story out of this guy."

"And you need me to play bad cop," Yang replied with a stoic nod that broke into a smile when Brand's shoulders shook with laughter.

"Leave the bad cop to me, kid," he said with a friendly pat on Yang's shoulder. "I need you to work as much charm as you have on this guy."

"Wait a second…" After holding up a hand to pause the conversation, Yang pointed towards Brand in disbelief. "You want me to _flirt_ with a bank robber?"

"Attempted bank robber. Seeing as how he never made it out, it might be inappropriate to call him otherwise." When Yang continued to stare at Brand, he eventually stopped and nodded. "But yes. Are you in?"

"Hell yeah I'm in!"

More than a little excited, Yang raised her hand to give Brand a high five, only to have to jump when he held his nearly out of reach. Blake averted her gaze in the process, as Yang's shirt lifted and offered a glimpse of a smooth, flat stomach until Yang pulled it back in place.

"When do we leave?"

"Now," Brand answered. "The interview's scheduled for eleven, but we want to be early."

"I'm so ready."

As the two walked out of her office, Blake shook her head and smiled at the enthusiasm.

"Can we use fake names?" Yang asked while Brand collected a few items from his desk. "Can I be Honey Bear? Cuz I'm the sweet one?"

"You can use anything as long as it's believable."

"Is Honey Bear not believable? Ok, ok...I got it - Ella Lake!"

"Where's that from?" Brand asked as he led Yang to the door.

"I dunno. I think I read it in some book somewhere…"

Brand held the door while Yang walked through, still chattering excitedly. In the hall, she turned and gave Blake one last grin before disappearing. Chuckling to herself, Blake shook her head one last time. Who would've thought those two would get along so well?

Noticing Velvet walking over, Blake turned her attention to her friend and smiled.

"How're you doing?"

"I'm fine." After sending a glance over one shoulder, Velvet smiled at Blake. "You like her, don't you?"

Just like that, Blake's smile disappeared.

"She's helpful and doesn't cause trouble - what's not to like?"

"It _is_ nice having her around. She gets along with everyone really well."

"It seems that way," Blake agreed. "We're lucky. It could've been worse."

"Like she could have had a wealth of experience, right?"

Blake narrowed her eyes at the loaded question.

"I can see what you're trying to do, you know."

"Good!" With a smile still in place, Velvet returned to her desk, leaving Blake to shake her head and smile herself.

Velvet started at The Voice at nearly the same time as Blake, so they learned the business together and grew to be close friends through the course of it. As such, Velvet was Blake's second-in-command, if that was an official title. Her opinion was important, valuable, and right more often than not. If she believed that Yang fit into the office, that confirmed the growing feeling Blake was only beginning to accept.

"I sent you two more articles," Victor spoke up as she passed his desk. When she paused, he gave her an intent gaze while holding his briefcase in his hands.

"That brings you to what...fifteen?" she asked, but he shook his head.

"Ten, I believe," he replied before dipping his chin. "I'm off for a few interviews. Have a wonderful Tuesday."

"You too, Victor."

As he bustled out of the room, Blake shared a look with Lola.

"Don't you ever get tired of editing his pieces?"

"It's a good opportunity to learn some new words," Blake replied before giving Lola a playful smile. "You're free to try it if you'd like."

Shaking her head and laughing, Lola said, "I think I'll pass for now, thank you."

Resigned to her plight, Blake headed into her office only to discover that she'd picked up a tail - a very energetic tail.

"Sun," she said, taking her seat as he hopped onto the edge of her desk. "What do you need?"

"Oh, nothing." After swiping her pen out from under her hand, he presented it to her with a flourish and a gentlemanly, "Your pen, m'lady."

"Thanks." She accepted it and pulled out her ledger to enter the values, same as every Tuesday.

"So, I was thinking…" he said, the introduction already announcing his ultimate intention.

"Yes?"

"Well, today's Tuesday!"

After a few seconds of silence, Blake looked up and motioned for him to continue.

"And I was thinking you wouldn't be too busy today!" he added. "So maybe you wanna go to the batting cages with me?"

"Batting cages?"

"Yeah! You know -" he said while making a swinging motion with his arms. "Baseball?"

"I'm aware of the sport, but I didn't know there were any batting cages near here."

"Yeah." Sensing a bit of interest, he sat forward in excitement. "They're on the east side, over the bridge. Pretty cool place - there's an arcade too, if you're into that!"

After tapping her pen on the desk, Blake finally looked down at the page in front of her.

"Yang coaches a little league team, you know," she said while going back to work.

"I know! The Batter Bees!"

"There's no one batter," she remarked. Apparently, he hadn't heard the joke before because he laughed as if she just made it up - and, thankfully, forgot all about the invitation he'd extended.

While he tore a piece of paper from one of her notepads, she wondered if Yang knew about these batting cages. Most likely. Hadn't she said that she lived on the east side? Maybe she went there with her little league team. That would be quite a sight - Yang shepherding around a group of kids in helmets wielding bats, both human and Faunus.

Finished with the ledger, Blake flipped it shut with a sigh and stored it out of sight for another week. Afterward, she looked at the machine Sun lugged into the office earlier this morning.

"What is that thing, by the way?" she asked while pointing her pen at it. It looked like an elongated fan of some sort - a cylindrical shape that sat on the floor and angled up towards the ceiling.

"That guy? He's a foam machine!"

"A foam machine," she repeated, giving him a straight stare.

"Yeah! I was at a party the other night and they had one. It was awesome! My buddy's letting me borrow it - I'm going to take it home and try to hook it up to a speaker. Foam to music - won't that be awesome?"

"So you're _not_ going to use it in the office?" she clarified.

"Wouldn't that be fun though?" he asked in lieu of an answer. "We should throw a party at the office, with a foam machine." When he grinned at the idea, she smiled and shook her head.

"Maybe one day, Sun..." Returning to her work, she tuned him out while he made notes on a pad of paper.

Working with him around was more difficult than being alone. That probably had to do with his ceaseless motion, or the way he made abrupt movements that cut into her concentration. He was less distracting than he once was, but still...she accepted his presence with the knowledge that she would get less done.

Why let him sit in here at all? She supposed that..._maybe_...it was nice to have company sometimes. Plus, he'd learned not to overstay his welcome - after several rather forceful ejections from her office. He'd learned quite well, in fact. Today, right when she began to grow agitated by his continued noise, he hopped up and stretched his back.

"Gotta check out that skating thing downtown," he said with a wink. "Be back later!" After grabbing a few things from his desk, he recruited Velvet to go with him before strolling out of the office.

With the office nearly empty save for Lola, Blake blissfully moved to her next task: catching up on editing. Blessed with peace and quiet, she made it through two articles in no time. In the middle of the third, Lola stood up and left, and the grumble in Blake's stomach announced lunchtime.

Seeing as how she had the entire office to herself, which so rarely happened during the day, she ignored the feeling so as to take full advantage of the silence. By the time Lola returned from lunch, she'd made a sizeable dent in her work. By the time Velvet and Sun returned - talking about something while sitting down at Velvet's computer to go over the photos - Blake had caught up on editing entirely.

After responding to an email from Gary and giving proper credit to his human assistant, Lloyd, for the design of the advertisement, she dove online in search of stories that could be reported on. For the most part, the journalists came up with their topics, but sometimes she made one or two suggestions to fill in gaps in their reporting.

Finding nothing worth mentioning, she switched gears and searched for more advertisers - a task that took up a never-ending amount of her time. It was, by far, the least favorite (yet most vital) part of her job. If she wasn't forced to spend so much time emailing companies, maybe she would have time to contribute her own writing to The Voice again. That wish, however, felt selfish in the grander scheme of things.

Late afternoon was approaching by the time Brand and Yang returned to the office. Recognizing Yang's laugh immediately, Blake looked up and caught Brand's gaze as he walked to his desk. As soon as he flashed a thumbs up and a big smile, a wave of relief swept through her.

The interview went well, which explained Yang's excited talking while Brand typed up notes at his computer. Leaning against the desk, Yang answered his questions as he asked them - nodding, shaking her head, or laughing in turn.

From Blake's office, she almost couldn't believe her eyes. The two were collaborating - human and Faunus working together to write their thoughts on whatever had been learned over the course of the interview. Brand's use of the information would be interesting seeing as how some of it came from a human's point of view, but Blake couldn't wait to read it.

Once their data mining was completed, Brand packed up and patted Yang warmly on the shoulder before heading out with a wave - his day complete for now. Trailing Brand almost to the door, Yang dropped into her chair instead of leaving. From the way she ran a hand through her hair and blew a breath of air through her lips, it looked like she needed some major decompressing.

Blake understood the feeling, which was similar to taking a crash course in an unfamiliar subject while trying to maintain rapport with the person being interviewed: in this case, a career criminal. It became easier with time, but for the first one...maybe Yang could benefit from having someone to speak to.

And Blake could really use something to eat.

Deciding that some time out of the office might be beneficial to them both, she left her desk and walked over to Yang.

"How're you doing?" she asked, drawing Yang's attention to her.

"Good. I mean, I think." Yang shook her head and grinned. "It was a whirlwind."

After nodding, Blake shot a glance towards Sun, who was wearing headphones and bobbing his head while fiddling with that machine.

"Do you want to grab some food?" she asked in a quieter voice. "Or do you need to head home?" She added the last part when she realized that expecting Yang to stay late was presumptuous, but her worry disappeared when Yang smiled.

"Sure," she replied, wise enough to match Blake's volume. "I'm starving."

"Let's go then." Blake gestured to the door and smiled when Yang hopped up and fell into step beside her.

"You have a place in mind?" Yang asked once they slipped into the hall.

"I do, but if there's something you'd like -" Blake's polite question was stopped by Yang's head shake.

"I'm not very familiar with this part of town, so I'm at your mercy."

Lingering inside that response was that Yang didn't spend much time in heavily Faunus areas. That was pretty typical, and what Blake expected, which was why she'd thought of somewhere in advance.

"There's a tiny takeout place a couple blocks from here. They only make one specific meal each night, but I've yet to be disappointed."

"Sounds great. See - you know all these awesome places I could probably never find."

"Well...it depends on if you're looking for them…" Blake replied, glancing at Yang out of the corner of her eye as they left the building behind.

"Guess I'm not very observant." After chuckling at herself, Yang added, "I think I'm better at people than places, though."

"I can see that," Blake replied without a second thought, drawing a surprised look from Yang. "I mean, you seem very personable," she added, although that did nothing to dull the compliment just given.

"How'd today go?" she asked before they lingered on that response for too long.

"I know I say this a lot, but that was the _coolest_ thing ever."

"I take it you got some good information from the guy?"

"Yes! Well...to me, it was amazing, but I dunno how it'll work in Brand's story. I hope he can use it."

"Did playing good cop/bad cop work?"

"Oh yeah. But Brand didn't really play bad cop so much as just stand behind me and growl whenever the guy got too...enthusiastic."

Blake grimaced at the term. "Do I even want to know what that means?"

"He really wanted to hold my hand for some reason," Yang explained, holding up one hand and looking at it as if wondering why it would be so desirable. Shaking her head, she dropped her hand and shrugged. "I'm all for holding hands, but not while some crazy dude talks about how he planned to kill a security guard in the entryway, but the guy was lucky enough to be on break." Remembering that moment, Yang wrinkled her nose. "That just didn't quite do it for me, ya know?"

Blake made a similar face at the explanation, which was about what she'd expected. From what Brand had told her, the guy was a sleazeball and completely clueless as to how to be a professional criminal. Unfortunately, that didn't stop him from trying.

"It's good to know you're not psychotic," she replied, and Yang laughed.

"I mean, people call me crazy sometimes, but I hope they don't mean it in _that_ way."

After the two of them walked for several seconds in silence, Yang took a deep breath and continued in a more sober tone.

"Hearing about his life was just...so sad though. His mom died when he was young, his dad was a horrible person…" Trailing off, Yang sighed and shook her head again. "It makes you realize how impactful childhood can be. It can leave scars that determine who we become. You can't even see the scars, but they're there. Hurting when you press on them too roughly..."

Lightly swinging her arms, Yang looked around before sending Blake a small smile. "I'm kinda wondering what mine are," she concluded - the sudden introspection causing Blake to blink in surprise.

"What makes you think you have any?"

"Well...it just seems like we all have one or two." Sticking both hands in her pockets in a display of nonchalance, Yang shrugged off the weighty topic. "I'm probably the last person who should talk about feelings though."

Blake wanted to ask why that was but also didn't want to pry. Instead, she allowed them to turn the corner in silence before waving towards the line of people stretching across the sidewalk up ahead.

"This is the place," she said, keeping an eye on Yang's response as they joined the end of the line composed entirely of Faunus. Well...now all Faunus except for Yang.

"Wow." As soon as Yang spoke, the possum in front of them took a step forward to put a little more distance between them. Yang noticed the action and briefly frowned, but the reaction didn't last long before she smiled at Blake. "This place is popular."

"It's one of the better places to eat in the area. And it's almost literally a hole in the wall."

The 'restaurant,' if it could be called that, was nothing more than a register on a worn-counter with a roll-down gate used for security overnight. The kitchen was tucked behind a drawn curtain, and the only employee to be seen was the young, wide-eyed lemur whose parents ran the kitchen.

Each Faunus ordered their meals and paid before the lemur disappeared behind the curtain only to reappear a short time later with the appropriate amount of boxes in hand. These were placed in a plain paper bag, the top rolled down to keep the steam in, and handed off to the customer with a smile before the next person in line placed their order.

"What's on the menu tonight?"

When Yang asked the question, a few leery eyes shot in Blake's direction - searching for the one who'd brought a human to their local spot. Brushing off the looks, she glanced at the small whiteboard held to the wall of the building by a single nail.

"Chicken and bacon baked mac 'n cheese."

"Uh, wow. That sounds fantastic."

On cue, Blake's stomach growled.

"Smells fantastic too," she added, taking a sniff of the air as the scent of bacon and cheese drifted from behind the curtain. Catching Yang's knowing grin, she cleared her throat and changed the subject while a soft blush appeared on her cheeks.

"How did it feel to be a journalist for a day?" she asked as they inched closer to the front of the line.

Yang chuckled at the term and glanced at Blake. "It was a bit of a blur. I mean, I had no idea what I was doing other than the _very _cryptic instructions Brand gave me."

"Cryptic instructions?"

"Yeah! He was not at all specific about what he wanted out of the guy." Clearing her throat, Yang lowered her voice in an attempt to impersonate Brand's deep rumble. "'We want him to talk.'" Stepping forward when the line moved, she resumed her normal tone and said, "About what, Brand? What do you want him to talk about?" Switching voices, she concluded with a brisk, "'Himself,'" before throwing her hands in the air.

Laughing at the little charade, Blake shook her head in amusement.

"Sometimes we don't know what we're looking for," she explained. "No matter how much planning you do, you can walk into an interview expecting to write the piece one way then leave with it spiraling in a different direction."

"What you're telling me is that he had no idea what he wanted."

"Pretty much."

When Blake smiled, Yang laughed - a sound that drew more attention their way.

"Well, he fooled me. Here I was all worried about letting him down."

The comment was lighthearted in the moment, but Blake could tell that Yang meant the words - that she'd actually worried about hurting Brand's work. It was sweet that she'd been concerned...Blake had worried about that same situation, after all.

"I'm sure he would've given you more direction if you were headed the wrong way," Blake assured Yang as they took another step forward. "He wouldn't just let you flounder on your own."

"Yeah, you're right. He's too nice to do that."

Blake agreed with that statement wholeheartedly, but the comment felt a bit unexpected coming from Yang. Blake had worked with Brand for years and seen how he behaved with his family and coworkers - she knew from experience that he was a kind-hearted, gentle man. Yang, however, had known Brand for only a few days and started with a rather unfavorable impression of him, yet she'd already come to the same conclusion.

Before Blake responded, the sound of loud laughter rounded the block and moved towards them. From the sudden shift in energy from the Faunus in line, she already knew it was bad news. And when she searched out the source of the noise, she confirmed it. A group of young men were approaching them - all college-aged and, based on their matching jerseys, heading home from some sporting event.

They were intoxicated and rowdy, but it remained to be seen if they were just loud or something more sinister. Regardless, the line now brimmed with unspoken caution.

"Heyyyy!" Blake sighed at the tone, as one of the boys held out an arm to stop his friends from walking further. "Look at this!"

"Whatcha guys waiting for?" the second asked, walking right up to the line and looking around. "This where you get your rabies shots?"

"Good for them! Keeping the rabies away," the third added with a dutiful nod.

While the three of them laughed, they got no response other than a few dirty looks. Looking at Yang, Blake pointedly shook her head, trying to convey without words that Yang should leave the situation be. Yang frowned at the instruction but crossed her arms over her chest and didn't say a word - although her jaw clenched in anger.

"Quiet bunch, huh?" the first boy added. "Guess they're all -"

His words abruptly ended when his eyes fell on Yang, who fearlessly stared back at him.

"_Hey there_, gorgeous," he said, taking on a different tone while sidling up to her. As he did so, his buddies let out whistles that made Blake's skin crawl in repulsion. "What's someone like you doin' with all these Faunus?" he asked with a wave towards the line. "You lost? Need a nice, strong man to escort you home?"

Grinning, he crossed his arms and blatantly flexed his muscles.

"If you can find one, let me know," Yang replied with a sweet smile that quickly fell into a scowl. "Cuz all I see are a bunch of jackasses."

The boy's grin instantly fell as he took a step backward in surprise. The surprise wore off quickly though, and a sneer appeared in its place.

"You're one of _those,_ huh? A Faunus-loving waste of space." When Yang glared and said nothing, he shook his head and moved back to his friends. "Your parents really fucked up raising you."

His friends gave him an obligatory laugh while they walked away, all three of them shooting second and third glances Yang's way as she glowered after them. It was only after they rounded the next corner and disappeared that she dropped her arms and sighed. As she did so, her gaze fell to the ground and stayed there - oblivious to the sympathetic glances sent her way by the other Faunus in line.

That interaction had started as usual, with Faunus in the spotlight, then all of the vile and filth had been heaped onto Yang's shoulders alone. They were spared this evening, but at what expense? From the quiet looks of her fellow Faunus, Blake could feel that, as a group, they wished they could have shared in the hatred Yang just received. They were used to it. But Yang...was she used to it, too?

"Two, please," Blake said, grateful they'd reached the front of the line so she could break the silence. Noticing Yang reaching for her wallet, Blake waved her hand away. "It's on me."

For some reason, Blake knew that Yang would normally protest the gesture, but today she agreed with a quiet "I'll get yours next time."

It was with this muted persona that Yang accepted their bag of food - still finding a nice smile for the young boy running the register - and followed Blake back to the office.

In the quiet, Blake couldn't decide what she wanted to say - mostly because she found it difficult to come to terms with what happened. Something about the altercation didn't sit well with her, and she needed to figure out why. Besides the obvious answer of a group of humans once again being horrible.

When a deer Faunus moved to the very edge of the sidewalk as they passed by, she realized what was bothering her.

Yang was an outcast. Maybe not in the same way that Blake often felt isolated or marginalized from society, but an outcast all the same. Other humans wouldn't accept her for who she was. And Faunus were suspicious of her intentions. She suffered discrimination and prejudice like Blake did, but from everyone.

Once upon a time, Blake used to hide her ears underneath a ribbon - she used to hide who she was beneath a strip of fabric wrapped into a bow. Not anymore. She refused to alter her appearance to conform to those around her. It wasn't fair for her to hide when other Faunus could not. This meant that she was subject to the same treatment, as unsavory as it could be.

Yang could hide her views - or change them. Instead, she stood her ground. Was it heroic or idiotic to stand unflinchingly in the face of prejudice?

Whichever it was, it had been ignorant for Blake to assume Yang's life was a cakewalk because she was pretty and human. Who knew if that was the first time something like that had happened. Maybe something even worse had happened before, and Blake had no idea. Instead, she thoughtlessly assumed Yang's life was perfect.

"I think your parents did an amazing job raising you," she said, looking over and catching Yang's small smile aimed towards the ground.

"Thank you. I value your opinion far more than theirs."

"In that case, I don't think we should listen to drunken buffoons."

After several more silent steps through the quiet evening, Yang finally let out a loud sigh.

"You're right. They're not worth it…especially not when we're about to have a fantastic dinner." Holding up the bag, Yang smiled - the expression relieving in more ways than one.

"Feeling better?" Blake asked, just to be sure.

"Yeah...it just makes me mad. I don't care what they say to me, but…" Yang clenched her fists and gritted her teeth before shaking her head. "I get that I shouldn't lash out at them, but I'd love to punch them in the face just _once_."

"I wouldn't recommend that."

"Yeah yeah...I'd get in trouble and blah blah. Weiss has read me the riot act on that like a hundred times." With another sigh, Yang swept a hand through her hair. "I don't know how you stay so calm. Like it doesn't faze you at all. Doesn't it make you angry?"

"Of course it does." Hearing the edge in her tone, Blake reminded herself that there was no need to be defensive with Yang. "It does make me angry," she continued in a more level manner. "But by now it's...a background simmer that only occasionally boils over."

"I guess I need to find my inner Zen or something…"

"Sadly, I think it's more...acceptance. Accepting that this is the way things are and there's not much we can do about it. We're like rats in a laboratory cage - powerless over what happens to us."

Yang took in the words and mulled them over for a few seconds.

"I'd like to think we're in a maze," she replied. "Maybe we run into dead ends all the time, and maybe it's discouraging that we can't see the path to the end, but there's a way out if we keep trying and don't give up."

The analogy made Blake blink in surprise.

"I've...never thought about it that way," she admitted.

"Plus, you never know, maybe there's a reward waiting for us at the end."

Thinking through that viewpoint, Blake decided she liked it far better than her own. It might be difficult, and some days it might be extraordinarily difficult, but there _was_ a way to solve the problems they'd gotten themselves into. They just needed to keep trying, to keep running into dead ends and not grow discouraged. Many people would eventually stop trying, but it wasn't in her nature to give up.

"Like a piece of cheese?" she joked as the office building came into view.

"Hey, if that's what makes you keep going, I won't judge," Yang replied with a grin. "Personally, I'm hoping for a giant chocolate cake. _That's_ a real reward."

This time, Blake held the door open for Yang as they walked into the lobby together.

"What makes chocolate cake such a reward?"

"I'm going to eat the entire thing by myself, Blake. That's the reward."

Laughing at the idea of Yang eating an entire cake by herself, Blake held the door to the stairwell before following Yang upstairs. Again, taking that short break had worked wonders for her mind. Even after the unfortunate incident while waiting in line, she felt rejuvenated and ready to wrap up her day of work. Maybe she'd even head out after finishing her food, then she'd make it home at a decent hour again.

At least, that was the fleeting plan that disappeared the second she opened the door to the office. Standing in the doorway in shock, all of the stress of the day came rushing back to her in one fell swoop.

"Uhhh…" Yang said while Blake's heart sank at the sight.

The somewhat-neat, somewhat-cluttered office they left behind only minutes ago...was now covered in foam.

"Sun!"


	9. Chapter 9

As soon as Sun spotted Blake by the door, he jumped to his feet and rushed over - holding his hands out in front of him like that would somehow calm her down.

"Hey, didn't think you'd be back so soon!" he said before glancing around the room. "Uh, so like...I just wanted to try it out, and it kinda went haywire and started spewing foam all over the place…"

When he chuckled and ran a hand through his hair, she said nothing while staring at the office, where bits of foam stuck to nearly every surface. The desks, the cabinets, the printer, the walls...even the ceiling in some places.

"I'll clean it up -" he began to say, but she cut him off with a firm shake of her head.

"Just go home. I'll take care of it."

For a split second, it looked like he wanted to argue. Upon thinking better of it, he nodded and raced back to his desk for his things and wisely took the foam machine with him so it was no longer in her sight. As soon as he scurried out of the office and shut the door behind him, she sighed and walked over to Yang's desk.

"How long were we gone?" she asked while wiping a clump of foam into the trash can under the desk.

"Um...like twenty minutes?"

Twenty minutes...and he managed to do _this_. Imagine if it had been forty minutes, or an hour.

It was probably better if she didn't think about that right now...

"You don't have to stay." Without waiting for a response, she grabbed a big trash bag from one of the cabinets, along with as many paper towels as she could find. Once she had those, she turned back to the office and felt her blood approach its boiling point yet again.

What a mess. Hopefully, the foam wiped up easily with the paper towels. It would take forever to do by hand...but it wasn't like they could spray the entire office down with a hose.

Sighing once more, she set several rolls of towels on Velvet's desk and tried to figure out where to start. Meanwhile, Yang pulled the trash can from underneath her desk and used her hands to scoop clumps of foam into it.

"You don't have to do that," Blake said, but Yang shook her head and grinned.

"I've _always _wanted to clean up a bunch of foam. You won't take my dream away from me, will you?"

After staring for several seconds in disbelief, Blake let out a small huff and shrugged.

"Suit yourself."

When Blake tossed a roll of paper towels across the room, Yang caught it and tore off several sheets before wiping foam off of her computer screen. Following Yang's lead, Blake pulled off a few towels from her own roll and started cleaning off Velvet's desk.

By a stroke of luck, Velvet had packed her camera in its carrying case for the night, but one of the lenses had been left out and was half-covered in foam. Blake did her best to clean it off, but only Velvet would know if it was damaged - it looked fine from outward appearances though.

Thankfully, if there was anything to be thankful for, the accident was recent and the foam sat mostly harmlessly on top of everything. But, regardless of how 'harmless' the end result might be, Blake silently stewed while throwing paper towel after paper towel into a black trash bag. After having a relatively productive day, _this _was the last way she'd wanted to end it.

Shortly after Yang moved on to Lola's desk, Blake moved on to Victor's. His notebooks were hidden underneath a pile of foam and were only revealed once she swept most of it into the garbage. After cleaning off his chair, she moved on to Brand's desk, which had suffered from its proximity to Sun's. His family photographs were buried by the large block of foam that looked like it was trying to eat his desk whole. And Sun's desk...

Well, Yang grabbed a second garbage bag before starting Sun's desk - or, more accurately, the mountain of foam where Sun's desk had once been. At least he had the decency to point the machine at his own space…

"How did he _ever _think this was a good idea?" Blake finally said, breaking the silence as her irritation bubbled over. After wiping off a picture of Grizzell and Troy, she carefully set the frame back in its place and tossed the used paper towel into the garbage bag. "I mean, look at this!" Gesturing around the room, where foam still clung to the walls and cabinets, she dropped her hands and shook her head.

"Do I have to babysit him _all_ the time?" she grumbled to herself. "You'd think he could take care of himself by now. Or at least _not _destroy the office in under half an hour..."

Another towel was flung into the bag, a little harder than necessary to voice her displeasure.

"He seems like a good guy though," Yang eventually replied, catching Blake's gaze and giving her a small smile. "At least his heart's in the right place."

The comment took a needle to the balloon of frustration in Blake's chest, destroying the pent up irritation in a heartbeat.

"He _is _a good guy," she agreed, walking over and holding open the trash bag while Yang scooped two armfuls of foam off of Sun's desk. "But he can be the _biggest _idiot sometimes."

Dumping the mass of foam into the bag and using a paper towel to dry off her arms, Yang chuckled. "Well, I can't disagree with you there." Pausing for a second, she gave Blake a sly grin. "By the way, you've had a little bit of foam stuck to your forehead for a while. I didn't want to interrupt your brooding and tell you."

When Yang gestured towards Blake's forehead, she wiped at the spot and her hands came away with suds. Seeing them made her laugh - and Yang quickly joined in.

"It kinda looked like a horn," Yang added. "It was really hard not to laugh."

"Reflecting my mood, I guess."

Suddenly feeling much more like herself, Blake shook away her remaining frustration and helped Yang uncover Sun's desk. When all six desks were foam-free, the two of them moved to the edge of the room and cleared off the walls, cabinets, and printer.

The process was slow, but with two of them it went much faster than if Blake was on her own. They worked mostly in silence, clearing away as much white as they could before Blake found herself searching for the next bit of foam to clean. Standing in one place and slowly scanning the room, she sighed when she saw a clump living above one of the cabinets.

"I'll get that -" she said, waving that direction as Yang spotted it too.

"Woah, wait a second. Maybe I should help you."

When Blake pulled herself on top of the counter, Yang rushed over and looked genuinely worried about the situation. Even though the counter was small and Blake could easily slip, she didn't feel a fraction of that concern.

"I'd be worried about you doing this," she replied while walking along the edge of the counter and cleaning off the top of the shelves. Once they were clear, she hopped down and smiled. Yang's response, however, was shock and just a little bit of awe.

"That's so cool."

"That I can stand on a countertop and not fall?" Blake asked. "Thanks, but I'm pretty sure most people can do that."

"Are you sure? My sister can hardly step off a sidewalk without tripping herself."

When Blake raised one brow, Yang maintained a stoically serious face and nodded. The expression was enough to make Blake laugh while tossing the last paper towel on top of the trash bag filled with them.

"Well maybe she can't do it, but I don't think it's anything special."

Taking a good look around the office, she found that everything was...normal. It smelled a bit different than usual, but the foam was gone. Nothing was seriously damaged - although she would ask Velvet to check that camera lens in the morning.

The crisis had been averted and only took a couple hours of her time. And Yang's too, who surely had better plans than spending the evening cleaning up piles of foam.

"Sorry..." Blake said while picking up one of the garbage bags and tying it shut. "Things aren't normally this chaotic, I promise."

As soon as the words left her mouth, she wished she could take them back. That sounded like an excuse - like an attempt to pander to Yang, and therefore Weiss. That wasn't what Blake had intended to do at all. She merely wanted to express that things weren't always this way. The office being inundated with foam was a rare, if not singular, occurrence - which, of course, happened while Yang was here.

Thankfully, Yang shook her head and smiled.

"You know what I've seen so far?" she asked while holding Blake's gaze. "A really talented photographer; an owl who knows every word ever created; a well-intentioned, if not a little goofy, sports writer; and an editor-in-chief who cares nearly too much." After shaking her head, Yang reached down to close the second bag and added, "It's not a bad impression, trust me."

And Blake did. Whether she _should_ trust Yang remained to be seen, but it was hard not to believe the words Yang said.

"Well, thank you for helping," Blake said, giving Yang a smile of gratitude.

"No problem. I'm glad you let me help."

Sighing one more time, this one from exhaustion, Blake sat in Yang's chair while Yang leaned against the desk.

"Have you ever seen so much foam before?"

In the midst of shaking her head, Yang paused and laughed.

"Actually, yes. I went to a party once - the entire house was basically a foam swimming pool."

"Sounds like fun?"

Chuckling, Yang nodded and said, "Oh yeah. It was tons of fun."

It felt like there was more of a story there, but when Blake caught sight of the clock hanging on the wall, she decided it wasn't the time to ask for details.

"Sorry for keeping you so late," she said instead. "Feel free to head home now. I can lock up."

"Woah, woah, woah - but the night's not over yet!"

Confused at the response, Blake tilted her head and looked at Yang for an explanation.

"What do you mean?"

Reaching over, Yang picked up the bag of food they'd brought back earlier.

"We still have to eat dinner!"

After looking between Yang's smile and the bag several times, Blake asked, "You want to stay and eat?" and received an enthusiastic nod in response.

"You said this stuff was great," Yang added. "Plus, I worked up a huge appetite cleaning up all that foam."

Feeling that Yang wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer - and not feeling like saying 'no' anyway - Blake nodded and said, "Ok, then let's eat."

Thrilled by the response, Yang pulled the two containers from the bag and handed one to Blake along with a plastic fork. Hopping up onto the desk, Yang swung her feet off the floor while opening the other container and digging in.

"Wow," she said after finishing her first bite.

"Do you like it?"

"Do I like it?" Yang repeated, catching Blake's gaze with a smile that held the answer for the whole world to see. "I _love_ it. This is the most amazing thing I've ever eaten."

Taking a bite of her own dinner, Blake chewed thoughtfully before swallowing.

"It'd be better if it was a little hotter," she said, to which Yang shrugged.

"Maybe, but this is still fantastic. I'm getting lunch there every day this week."

"_Every_ day?"

"Yeah - why do you sound surprised?" When Blake didn't immediately respond, Yang playfully narrowed her eyes. "You want me to bring you some too, don't you?" she teased.

"I'm pretty sure that's the rule," Blake replied in a serious tone. "If you go there without me, you have to bring something back for me."

Breaking into a smile and laughing, Yang nodded.

"You've got yourself a deal! Let's just hope I can find it again."

"I'm sure you can," Blake replied before coming up with another tease. "Or you'll get lost and I'll have to find you."

When Yang laughed, she leaned back on the desk - her posture displaying how much she enjoyed the conversation.

"But how will you find me?"

"Easy. I'll just listen for the sound of a bumbling human roaming the streets," Blake said while sending Yang a coy smile. "There aren't too many of those around here."

The comment was answered with another delighted laugh that put another smile on Blake's lips.

"Then I'm lucky my rescuer has an extra set of ears."

The instant the words left Yang's mouth, Blake's smile fell, and her feline ears flicked in surprise. Yang immediately read the response and her own expression filled with apology.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she rushed to say. "I didn't mean to insult you or anything -"

"No, it's...ok." Shaking off the unsettling moment, Blake attempted a reassuring smile. "I'm just...sensitive about my ears. People don't usually comment on them with good intentions."

"No, really, I'm sorry. That was really insensitive." Setting her food on the desk, Yang looked down at her hands and sighed. "I just...tend to make jokes and don't stop to think about them first. Which I should really do."

"Yang. It's ok - please stop apologizing." When it looked like Yang was going to protest, Blake raised a hand to stop her. "It's really ok," she reiterated. "Let's just say that we're both a little too sensitive...in one way or another."

For several seconds, Yang considered the comment, again with her eyes telling more of the story than she likely realized. She still felt bad, or guilty, or upset with herself, but she wasn't the type to keep pressing and risk agitating Blake with persistence. So, accepting the compromise, she smiled - and Blake did too.

"Are you done with that?" Blake asked, pointing her fork towards Yang's carton on the desk.

"Uh, no." Swiping the food back into her hands, Yang took another bite and grinned. "I'm eating this whole thing."

"Good." For a second, Blake considered leaving it at that but decided to add, "Then I won't be embarrassed when I do the same."

Hearing Yang's laugh put Blake back at ease - an auditory assurance that things were back to normal between them.

After taking years of abuse over her ears, she'd grown hypersensitive to any comment about them, especially when that comment came from a human. It probably wasn't in her best interest to be so easily hurt by simple words, especially when Yang's remark had been playful. It was a joke. She needed to lighten up a little bit. Especially around Yang, who - despite her early reticence to believe - was nothing if not kind and accepting of each and every one of them.

"Can I ask you something?" Yang asked, breaking their brief moment of contemplation. "If you don't mind."

"Sure."

"I've been curious. What got you into this?" Posing the question, Yang waved a hand around the office.

"This...as in The Vale Voice, or journalism in general?"

"Both. I have a feeling one led to the other."

Thinking about the answer, Blake slowly nodded her head. "I suppose you could say that," she replied, catching Yang's attentive gaze and deciding it would be ok to tell this story. It would be hard _not_ to when Yang asked so politely. "I've loved writing ever since I was in elementary school," she began. "I wanted to become a world-famous author - writing novels that millions around the world would read."

"Is that still what you want to do?" Yang asked, but Blake shook her head.

"How many famous Faunus authors do you know of?" she asked instead and watched Yang struggle to think of a name.

"I mean...I don't really read much…"

"There aren't many," Blake answered, shaking her head when Yang met her eyes. "I figured out pretty young that my dream was always going to be just that - a dream. Even if I tried my hardest, even if I _was_ a good writer, it would never matter because of these."

When Blake waved a hand towards her ears, Yang's gaze quickly moved up to them before dropping to her eyes again.

"What happened instead?" Yang asked quietly, her soulful eyes searching Blake's for an answer.

"I…" The words 'gave up' walked across Blake's tongue, but she shook them away and tried again. "I didn't know what I wanted to do after that," she admitted. "I kept writing all through school, but it was never more than a hobby. I joined a lot of Faunus causes - rallies and protests and the like - then one day I stumbled across an article that changed my life."

"What was it?"

"A short editorial," Blake answered, her mind conjuring the words for her as she thought about it. "It said that Faunus needed to stand up for one another using whatever skills we have. That each of us can contribute _something_ towards bettering our lives, no matter how small. My only real skill was writing, so…" Trailing off, she waved a hand around the office.

That day, she figured out a way to make a _true_ impact - a way to change the world beyond attending rallies and holding picket signs. Or, at least, a way to _try _to change the world...

"So you started writing for Faunus," Yang said, still holding her food but not eating while she listened to Blake's story.

"I can't be a world famous author because I'm Faunus," she replied, bluntly putting into words the source of disappointment she'd carried all these years. "I can't do a lot of things because I'm Faunus. So many paths blocked, doors locked...the world always dictating what I can and can't do."

Frowning at her knees, she briefly clenched her fists before letting them go.

"If I'm going to fail, I want it to be because I'm not good enough - not because I'm not even allowed to try." When Yang didn't interrupt, Blake pressed on. "So I decided to devote my time to making more paths available to the people who came after me. I can try to make life better for Faunus who are still growing up or yet to be born. I want _their _dreams to be possible even if mine weren't."

When Blake finished speaking, Yang seemed at a loss for what to say. After opening and closing her mouth several times, she finally leaned closer to Blake with an earnest expression.

"So that became your goal - to change lives the way yours was changed by that article."

"I...yes, I suppose you could put it that way." The way Yang was looking at her right now made her vaguely uncomfortable. It almost felt like...Yang admired her.

"That's…" Yang paused and shook her head before looking at Blake again. "That's unbelievable. Do you realize how inspiring you are? I _wish _I had a sense of drive and purpose like you do."

"I'm sure you have something you want to accomplish," Blake replied, attempting to steer the compliment away from herself.

"Not really. My goal is to have a life filled with adventure and laughter. That doesn't help out the greater good though."

"Well...you're still young. There's always time to figure out what you want to do."

"You have such a head start on me though."

"I don't believe it's a race."

"But isn't it called a rat race?"

When Yang asked the question, Blake laughed. "Have you ever seen rats race?" she replied with a smile. "They're actually very polite, and don't like when people step out of their lane."

For a moment, Yang stared at Blake in surprise - obviously not expecting the sudden topic change. Then a smile formed and she laughed, the sound making Blake smile on cue.

"I have _not_ seen rats race," Yang admitted with a shake of her head. "I just thought it meant that if I don't know what I want to do, I'm already out of the pack and falling behind."

"Not at all. You can always decide what you want to do."

The two of them shared a smile before Yang - seemingly newly emboldened - picked at an invisible thread in her jeans and sent Blake a hopeful smile.

"I have another question if that's ok."

"I'm all ears," Blake replied, waving towards her head and smiling when Yang looked temporarily stunned by the joke. But it worked - putting Yang more at ease as she settled in to ask her question.

"Ok, well, last night at the park, did it bother you - that I said we were friends?" When Blake's ears twitched at the perceptive question, Yang continued. "I just got the feeling that it did. Like you didn't want to be associated with me in _that _way. But maybe I'm reading too much into it -"

"No," Blake said, shaking her head and falling silent when Yang looked at her. "I was surprised by the label. And, wrongly, I worried what they'd think of me if I was friends with, well, with a…"

They were both capable of completing that sentence, so she didn't say the word aloud.

"We can't be friends then?"

Catching the fleeting hurt in Yang's eyes, Blake suddenly felt immeasurably sad that this was the outcome of her fear of judgment - the judgment of strangers, no less.

"What's your definition of a friend?" she asked instead.

"Uh, someone I like spending time with, I guess?"

Blake smiled and nodded at the response.

"Then I think we can be friends."

When Yang broke into a huge smile, Blake's regret faded into the background. Now that she thought about it, she'd never had a human friend. Whether through lack of opportunity or lack of effort, this situation had just never come to pass.

But, admittedly, she enjoyed spending time with Yang, as strange as that may be. It was easy to forget why Yang was around to begin with - that she made it into the office only due to Weiss' influence. And it grew easier and easier to forget that Blake had been less than thrilled by the situation in the beginning.

It didn't feel like Yang was watching them, or was out to get them. If anything, when they spent time alone like this, it felt like spending time with a real friend. Though not _quite _the same. Spending time with Yang was different than spending time with her Faunus friends, but that might be due to their different classes in society.

But more often than not, Blake found herself liking Yang's outlook on life, even if it wasn't exactly possible or, in some cases, reasonable. Yang was hopeful and positive, and it was impossible not to feel a little bit of the same when spending time with her.

"So this might be a loaded question," Yang asked, again announcing her intention to broach a difficult topic. "But...what are some of your plans to make changes happen?"

One thing Blake liked more and more was how Yang's questions stemmed from legitimate curiosity and a desire to learn more about what it meant to be Faunus. Answering these questions didn't feel like walking into a trap - like she would be attacked for her views. She actually _liked _answering them. Although she couldn't help but wish more humans would show such genuine interest, while maintaining patience to try to understand before writing off their differences as wrong.

It _was _a loaded question though, with no real answers - only her random thoughts and musings about how things could be better.

"It's hard to make progress when people won't open their minds to change," she began, shaking her head at the thought. "And how do we get people to change their minds? War is one option - the victor can force the losing party to behave in a certain way."

"I hope you're not promoting a civil war," Yang replied, chuckling softly when Blake shook her head.

"Even if Faunus could win, what good would it be to force humans to treat us with respect? That won't solve the problem, which is that relations between our two groups just aren't going well." When Blake gestured between the two of them, she immediately felt guilty for lumping Yang in with the opposing side. But it was true, even though Yang felt more like an ally than not.

"We've made gains based on sympathy, but we shouldn't have to rely on sympathy to be treated as equals. It should be our right. Like breathing. We should be free to work, live, love, prosper, and fail just like everyone else."

"That's what equality is," Yang said, the answer making Blake nod wholeheartedly.

"Do we want to be put on a pedestal? No. We just want...the freedom to _try_. And to know that we fail because we're bad at something, not because we're Faunus. And we succeed because we're good at something, not because some human deemed us worthy of charity."

Knowing that she was standing firmly on her soapbox, Blake continued anyway - because Yang was looking for her to continue. Because Yang _wanted_ to hear more. She _wanted _to hear what Blake had to say.

And that was probably one of the most liberating feelings Blake had ever experienced.

"There isn't enough Faunus news," she said. Abruptly standing and walking over to the cabinet, she found an old copy of The Vale Sentinel and handed it to Yang. "How many articles are written about Faunus?"

Blake watched Yang flip through the pages, her brow furrowed while her eyes scanned each title.

"One," she finally answered, pointing to the one she found.

"That's right. One." Taking the paper, Blake set it aside and gestured with her hands - a small amount of frustration growing. "How can we expect change if people can't _see _us? The media erases us by ignoring us. We often joke that the only way you can get into the paper is by being arrested. _That's _why The Vale Voice is so important. It puts our perspective out there. Maybe we don't have all Faunus-centric articles, but we certainly have more than one."

"So by writing about Faunus doing other things, not just breaking the law, you're trying to change the narrative - that Faunus are doing incredible things all over the city, we just don't see or hear about it."

"Exactly."

There was something very rewarding about talking to Yang. Maybe it was because, unlike any of the other humans Blake had met, Yang seemed to get it - or at least made a conscious effort to understand what she was saying.

"Some of the greatest changes in our history have been made through words," she continued. "Speeches, papers, novels - words have the power to move people, to change their minds."

"I agree with that," Yang said, nodding for Blake to explain further.

"First, humans need to be able to see us," she said. "That's why we try to highlight Faunus news when we can - to show that we're still here. If humans see us on a more frequent basis, maybe they'll be willing to listen to what we have to say. And maybe we can change a few minds by being passionate and understanding, but also approachable and willing to engage in meaningful rhetoric."

"So you _don't _want to argue?"

"No - why? Does it seem like I do?"

Yang shrugged and gave Blake a small grin.

"I mean, yeah, kinda."

The honest reply made Blake smile and shake her head.

"I don't want to. I'd rather have an open dialogue: discuss our thoughts and feelings without attacking one another for our opinions. Kind of like this." When she gestured between the two of them, Yang smiled.

"Well, you're pretty easy to listen to, so no complaints here. I like hearing what you're thinking."

"And I appreciate you listening."

For a long moment, the two of them just smiled at each other, seemingly content with what they just shared. When Yang's smile broke into a yawn, however, Blake took another look at the clock.

"Wow, it's late. Do you want to go home now?"

Checking the time over her shoulder, Yang turned back to Blake with a reluctant expression.

"Yeah, I guess…" After yawning again, Yang chuckled to herself and nodded. "Yeah, I guess it might be time to head out, but only if you're leaving too."

"Why -?"

"Because I want to try out my new key!" Yang answered before Blake finished the question. Pulling out her set of keys, Yang found the newest one and held it up with a proud smile. "You've gotta leave first so I can lock the door."

"Are you kicking me out of the office?" Blake asked, amused by the turn of events.

"Yes. I mean, if you're ready to go now?"

Taking one last look around the clean office, Blake found nothing else that she needed to do at the moment. As for her other work, it could wait until tomorrow.

"I guess I can go now," she said while standing up and stretching her back. "Give me a minute - I'll go get my things."

While she went to her office to gather everything she wanted to take home, Yang collected the rest of the garbage and bundled it together by the door. When Blake joined her, Yang picked up both bags in one hand and waved Blake out first.

"I got this," Yang said while following Blake out. Setting the bags in the hall, she pulled out her keys, slid the new one into the lock, and turned the deadbolt into place in one swift sequence. After shoving her keys back into her pocket, she gave Blake a big grin.

"See? Totally got this."

Smiling at the comment, Blake reached out to take one of the trash bags only for Yang to swoop in and pull both away.

"_And_ I've got those," she added. "You go home and enjoy yourself. I'll take these down to the trash."

"Oh, ok…" Surprised, but pleasantly so, Blake turned towards the staircase as Yang fell into step beside her. "Well, thank you."

"Don't mention it. It's the least I could do."

"And feel free to come in late tomorrow," Blake mentioned when they made it to the lobby. "You've definitely earned a late start."

"You know, I might take you up on that this time." With a tired smile, Yang followed Blake outside and set off towards the dumpster on the side of the building. "Have a good night though!"

"You too."

After watching Yang disappear around the corner, Blake turned and headed the other direction. Remarkably, she wasn't nearly as upset as she should be considering how the evening went. The night had actually been rather enjoyable, whether that was due to the food or the conversation with Yang, she couldn't quite decide.

She hadn't made it far from work, however, when she realized that she should give her parents a call. While it was late in Vale, the sun should be rising in Menagerie, and her parents would be getting ready for their day. Pulling out her phone, she dialed the number she knew by heart and waited for one of them to pick up.

"Blake!" her dad's voice boomed across the line, making her hold the phone a little further from her sensitive ears. "What're you doing calling so late?"

"Just heading home. I had to stay late at the office to...fix something."

"And did you?"

"Yes, everything's in order once again."

"I knew it," he answered with a happy laugh. "There's nothing you can't handle."

No matter how many times he complimented Blake in that way, she always felt special. Sure, he was her dad, but he believed in her. She might not deserve the unflinching faith, but she appreciated it all the same.

"I try," she replied. "How are the sprinklers?"

"They're fantastic. Had one on the fritz the other day, but got him back in line in no time. Now they're all working in unison again."

"Sounds like you're living the good life." Crossing the street at the walk signal, she smiled when he laughed again.

"We are, we are." After pausing for a second, he added, "It's good to hear your voice."

"You too, Dad," she said, even though her smile faltered as her heart twinged with longing. She'd been away from home for a long time now and wanted to go back to visit...but not without having something good to tell them.

"Oh, here, your mom wants to talk to you."

Before Blake could respond, the phone exchanged hands with a soft rustle.

"Hi, Sweetie," her mom said. "What've you been up to? I hope you're home already."

"I will be in a little bit. I got caught at the office. Sun...well, he basically exploded foam all over everything."

Her mom laughed at the explanation, which probably sounded humorous to a third party. It would definitely be more humorous if she hadn't been the one cleaning up.

"I hope he helped you clean it up?"

"No, I sent him home before he did more damage. Don't worry though, I had help."

"That boy…" her mom replied with a laugh. "He's something else, isn't he?"

"You can say that again."

"But very sweet," her mom continued. "And you two seemed to get along when we visited -"

Sensing where the conversation was going, Blake tried to head it off with a "Mom…"

"We liked him!" her mom said, already knowing what she was about to say. "Didn't we like him? Ghira?"

Tuning in her ears, Blake smiled when she heard a gruff 'no' in the background.

"Your father liked him," her mom assured her anyway. "You know how he can be with people though…"

Spotting a familiar set of Faunus waiting to cross the street, Blake raised a hand in greeting as she neared them.

"Hey! Blake, right?" Tony called out to her while Ben smiled. "Come back and play sometime!"

"Yeah, and bring Yang!" Ben added before noticing that she was on the phone. Both of them winced and mouthed 'sorry' before heading across the street, but sent waves her way as they made their way home.

"Who was that?"

"A couple of boys I met the other day -"

"Faunus?"

"Yes, Mom."

"Don't 'yes mom' me," her mom replied with a laugh. "How'd you meet them? Are they your age? Not miscreants, are they? And what type?"

Rolling her eyes at the questions, Blake headed into her apartment building.

"Leopard and tiger," she answered while heading for the stairs. "They play basketball at the nearby park. I don't know much about them other than that."

"You like the cats, I see…"

"Mommm," she whined, to which her mom only laughed before whispering into the phone, "I'm still pulling for Sun."

Even though she shook her head, she still smiled. She missed the way her mom teased her, even if it was still embarrassing.

"I should get going," she said as she let herself into her apartment. "Just got home and have some reading to catch up on."

"Ok, Sweetie. Thanks for calling."

"Of course. Love you - tell Dad I love him too."

After receiving her 'love you too,' Blake hung up the phone and set it on the table with her bag. Since she'd already eaten dinner, she could get right to reading the other papers to see what was going on in the news.

But, as she sat down and opened The Vale Tribune, her mind drifted to her conversation with Yang instead. Gratifying was a good way to describe it. She hadn't expressed her opinions so openly to a human in...ever, really. But in Yang's responses, she'd found acceptance and understanding. And there was a certain joy in talking to Yang that she'd never experienced anywhere else.

Maybe it wasn't much of a stretch to say that she and Yang were already, kind of, friends.


	10. Chapter 10

"Lemme guess...a peach tea."

"You know me too well, Sam," Blake replied with a smile for the happy-but-sleepy canine behind the counter.

"That, or you've ordered the same thing for like three years in a row!" he said while making her morning tea, which was as simple as filling a cup with hot water and dropping a tea bag inside. "How's working with the new person - you know, the human?"

"Actually...it's not so bad."

Sliding the cup across the counter and taking Blake's money to make change, Sam raised his brow in surprise.

"Really?"

"Really," she admitted with a nod. "She's nice and surprisingly helpful."

"Well, that's good! See? They're not all so bad. We have a couple college kids in here on the weekends and they never cause any trouble - I even convinced them that I'm a wolf."

Catching his toothy grin, Blake laughed and accepted her change.

"Sorry, Sam, but there's no way you could pass for a wolf."

"Why not?"

"You're _way_ not hairy enough," she joked before sending him a wave and walking out the door with her warm cup in hand. Lifting it to her nose, she sniffed and sighed in content before heading to work.

A bit of friendly conversation and a cup of soothing tea worked wonders in pushing away the lingering thoughts of sleep that had been on her mind ever since she woke up that morning. With it being the middle of the week, however, there was little time for rest. She needed to rev her editing mind into high gear today.

Upon making it to the building and quickly heading upstairs, she was mildly surprised by the empty hallway greeting her on the third floor. Inexplicably disappointed, she pulled out her keys and tried the handle to see if it was open. It was still locked, so she unlocked the door and walked into a dark office. Flipping on the lights, she was pleased to find that everything appeared to be normal. There was still a _slight_ smell in the air, but her sensitive nose was likely the only reason she could smell it at all.

A second glance flitted towards Yang's empty desk before Blake reminded herself that she was the one who told Yang to come in late today. After their extended evening the day before, it was hard to blame her for accepting the offer.

Blake was also tired this morning, though that feeling was even worse because she hardly slept when she tried to go to bed. The events of the evening had left her with way too many emotions and thoughts to sort through. First, the combination of anger and frustration at Sun. Then, the surge of inspiration from talking to Yang.

This morning while her computer started, she searched through her desk drawers. One-by-one she pulled them out, looked through each of the hanging files, then closed them once more. What she was looking for was nothing more than a half sheet of paper, cut from the page so that she could keep it in her files. She found it hiding in a folder appropriately labeled 'personal.' Fishing out the piece of newsprint, she leaned back in her chair to read it.

'Stand up, Faunus. Stand up. Be you the tiniest mouse or the largest elephant, stand up for yourselves. For one another. You all possess a power far greater than you know. Find it. Hone it. Stand up and use it.'

After reading through it several times, she confirmed that it still lit a fire in her chest. Simple yet powerfully articulate, it was a call to action that any Faunus could heed no matter what level of skill they possessed. Those few sentences had altered the course of her life, and she couldn't help but wonder how many others had read these words and also taken up the fight.

Before filing the memento back in the drawer, she headed out of her office and made a single copy. Moving over to Yang's desk, she set the copy down and grabbed one of Yang's pens to write a short note at the bottom of the page.

'This is the article I was telling you about.'

Returning the pen to its place and leaving the article laying over the keyboard, she nodded to herself and headed back to her desk. With her computer fully prepared for the day, she went through her emails quickly. Thankfully, there wasn't much of note other than a few drafts and a message from Brand that he wouldn't be in today - he needed to take care of his son, who'd stayed home sick from school.

Besides Brand's absence, it appeared that today would be a normal Wednesday. However, this week's edition was shaping up to be drier than normal. Victor was spinning up election coverage, which Blake found sinfully boring regardless of its importance.

In order to remain impartial, they ran interviews with all of the major candidates. Unfortunately, doing so put Victor in the unenviable position of sourcing quotes from politicians who were ambivalent at best towards Faunus rights and vitriolic at worst. Simply remembering some of the quotes she'd cut from previous drafts was enough to make her blood boil. Which made her wonder what was worse...open hatred or casual disregard?

When Lola, then Victor, arrived for work, Blake waved and continued slogging through an in-depth analysis of Vale's archaic legal system. Informational? Yes. Appropriate for print journalism? No. Just after passing the midway point, she jumped when Sun burst through the door of her office.

"I'm so sorry!" he apologized, his eyes begging for forgiveness. "I wanted to try it out for like a _half_ second, but the switch got stuck and foam started going everywhere -"

Before he got any further, Blake held up a hand to cut him off.

"It's ok."

"...really?"

"Yes. It cleaned up fine, so apology accepted. But _please _use better judgment next time."

Having expected a scolding, he grinned at the unexpected outcome. "I'll totally try!" he agreed with several hasty nods.

"And you might owe Velvet an apology for getting foam in one of her lenses," Blake added with a nod towards the girl who'd just walked into the office and was about to sit down. Very appropriately, his eyes widened at the news.

"Oh god," he said before looking over his shoulder. "Velvet!" he called out while bounding out of Blake's office and running over to her. "I'm so sorry!"

Velvet had no idea what he was apologizing for, but as he explained she picked up the camera lens and examined it closely. Taking the time to test it, she snapped a quick photo of him before smiling and turning the camera around for him to see. Suddenly overjoyed, he wrapped her in a giant hug, lifted her feet right off the ground and spun her in a full circle before setting her back down.

Satisfied that nothing was damaged, Blake turned her attention away from their interaction and caught their newest arrival slipping through the door. Velvet and Sun greeted Yang as she made her way to her desk and, as she set everything down and unpacked her bag, she glanced up and caught Blake's gaze. When she smiled and waved, Blake nodded in return.

For once, cleaning up Sun's mess hadn't been such a chore. In fact, the opportunity to speak with Yang privately was rather enjoyable. As was the opportunity to determine that they were...potentially friends.

While Blake watched, Yang sat down and quickly found the piece of paper laying across her keyboard. After picking up the article, her eyes scanned quickly through it, then through it again. Finally lowering the page, she met Blake's eyes for only a half second before standing and walking over. Compelled to her feet, Blake left her work behind and met Yang right outside the glass walls.

"Good morning," Yang said while a growing smile lit her face. "Are you as tired as I am?"

"Possibly," Blake replied with a small smile of her own. "But it's not too bad."

"You're right. We could still be cleaning."

When Blake laughed at the joke, Yang's smile grew impossibly happier.

"Hey, so last night I had an idea I wanted to run by you -"

"Yang!" Sun interrupted, bounding over to them with an eager expression. "I get you for the day, right? Cuz you helped Brand yesterday, and I could use your help today!"

"Uh…" Uncertain about the answer, Yang looked at Blake for permission.

"What do you need her help with?" Blake asked, drawing his cheerful grin.

"I'm interviewing the basketball team that just won the regional finals! And I think they'll _totally_ wanna talk to you." When he pointed two fingers Yang's way, Blake shook her head in dismay.

"Don't tell me you want her to flirt with a bunch of basketball players," she said, only for chagrin to grow when he nodded.

"It's gonna be _awesome_," he replied while raising one hand for Yang to high five. "We'll be the dream team!"

"That's just what we need…" Blake mumbled before giving Yang a look. "If you don't have anything more pressing, it sounds like another opportunity for you to learn."

After looking back and forth between them, Yang broke into a smile and nodded.

"But I'll only flirt with them if you will," she teased Sun.

"Uh, there's gonna be cheerleaders there. I'll be flirting up a storm! They'll never know what hit 'em."

"Lovely," Blake muttered under her breath.

"We can leave in like ten?"

"Sure, Sun. Give me a second to get ready?"

"For sure!" After sending Blake one last grin, he headed back to his desk to prepare. Once he left the conversation, Yang gave Blake an apologetic smile. Even though she couldn't figure out exactly what the apology was for, the expression seemed appropriate.

"We can go over your idea when you get back?" she asked.

"That, and the article. I'd like to talk about that too." When Yang gestured to her desk, Blake followed the motion before nodding again.

"Sure. We can sit down and go over both."

"Looking forward to it," Yang said with a grin that reflected in her eyes. And, while it seemed like the point when Blake should walk away, she didn't just yet.

"Me too," she added instead, satisfied with that end of the conversation before nearly turning away. However, a thought popped into her head and turned her back to Yang. "And Yang?"

"Yeah?"

"Try to keep him out of trouble?"

"I'll do my best," Yang replied with a laugh. Smiling at the response, Blake ignored the amused look Velvet was giving her while heading back to her office.

"Hey Victor, if you have a minute, let's go over your plan for the next few weeks," she said while passing his desk.

"Absolutely." After gathering a pen and notepad, Victor followed her into the office and shut the door behind them.

"Have you come up with a schedule for the candidates you want to interview?" she asked while sitting down and grabbing a pad of paper to jot down notes.

"I have a tentative schedule but am encountering some adversity setting up some of the interviews."

"Let me guess - the same ones who avoided you last election?"

He nodded and, while he appeared nonplussed by the situation, Blake's annoyance rose several notches.

"I don't need a direct interview to analyze their political stances," he assured her, as if she might be worried about his ability to do his job. "It merely provides a more captivating piece if quotes are strategically placed for effect."

"Do you need any help from me?"

As expected, he shook his head at the offer.

"I've come up with a comprehensive stream of articles that will shepherd us through this election in flying colors. Introductions to the main candidates will come first, followed by an in-depth analysis of the debates and divergence on key issues. By the time election day arrives, any reader should know enough to formulate an informed decision."

"That's the idea." After writing down the general timeline, she gave him a second look. "Anyone we should keep an eye on?"

Unfortunately, he shook his head and sighed.

"I haven't noticed any candidate more supportive than the other," he answered while meeting her gaze with his sharp, brown eyes. "It doesn't appear that this will be our year."

Even though the answer was what Blake expected, disappointment still wove through her veins like a subtle toxin taking root. Shaking her head and forcing a smile, she left the topic behind in exchange for a happier one.

"I heard you gave Yang an important task," she said as her smile grew. "And there's a dictionary involved."

For his part, Victor lit up at the comment.

"I did," he replied, clearly pleased with himself even though Blake shook her head in amusement.

"You could just ask her to learn some new words, you know. No need for the wild goose chase."

"But that's beside the point," he said while leaning forward. "We don't learn best when being told to seek answers. We learn best when thoughts organically grow and coalesce in our minds."

"Basically...you don't want to just give her a list of terms to memorize."

"Of course not! The words she's selected are of her choosing - therefore, she's more likely to remember them on her own. Just yesterday, she used the word 'anathema' perfectly." When he puffed up like a proud father whose child had excelled in school, Blake chuckled and shook her head.

"You might just be a dictionary mastermind, Victor," she said before dropping her pen on the desk. "That was all I wanted to talk to you about, though. Just checking in on our plan."

"I'll inform you of any significant changes." Retaking his feet, he gave a miniscule bow before returning to his desk. No sooner had he left Blake's office did Lola stand up and make her way over. Seeing as how Lola hardly ever sought Blake out in person, she was immediately interested in what the purpose could be.

"Sorry to bother you," Lola said while sneaking into the office. "But do you know where Brand is?" The concern in her eyes gave away her predisposition to worry as she shifted just inside the doorframe.

"He's not coming in today. Troy has the flu and stayed home from school."

"I see...poor kid…"

Although that felt like the appropriate time for Lola to make her exit, she crept further through the door instead.

"Is something else on your mind?" Blake asked, knowing that Lola might never bring up the subject unprompted.

"Yes, actually, I was wondering if I could borrow your ear for a minute?"

"Just one, or all of them?" Blake joked, smiling when Lola laughed and finally sat down.

"All of them, if you have time."

"Lola, my job is to help with whatever you need."

"I know, but you're always so busy...I don't want to be any more of a bother than I need to be."

"I appreciate that," Blake replied with a sincere smile. "But that means I'm _more_ than happy to help when you need it."

While shifting in her seat, Lola considered her words before speaking. "The Celicas are in a few weeks. They're being hosted downtown at the theater again."

"Right," Blake said while nodding along. "That's one of the biggest awards programs of the year."

"Exactly. All of the biggest movie and television stars will be there."

Usually, Blake was pretty good at connecting the dots, but she had no idea what Lola was getting at with this conversation. Of course all the big stars would be at the biggest event of the year - why would Lola need help with that?

"Don't you go every year?" she asked, hoping to pinpoint the topic of this discussion.

"I do. But this year I was hoping to take Yang with me."

"Oh -"

"I just think she'll get more candid interviews with some of the bigger actors," Lola added. After a brief pause, she gave a bashful smile. "We both know it's a little difficult being...who we are. With all of the other reporters there, sometimes it's hard to get time with certain people. But if Yang came with me, I'm pretty sure some of those people would _want_ to talk to us."

With a patient, hopeful smile, Lola waited for an answer while Blake's mind raced through the possible consequences of granting this permission.

"Well, for one thing, I'm not sure how long Yang will be here," Blake admitted. "She might leave before then."

"I think she'd still be willing to come, don't you? It _is _the chance to attend one of the biggest events of the year."

"Right. I guess she might want to do that." Considering how much Yang enjoyed experiencing every part of journalism so far, Blake could practically guarantee that she would agree to accompany Lola even past her end date. "I guess ask and see if she wants to go," Blake finally decided. "If she says yes and you think she'll be helpful, then I don't see why not."

Even though Lola smiled at the response, she shifted uncomfortably in her seat - not exactly the reaction Blake expected.

"Great," was all Lola said. There was another question hiding somewhere.

"But…?"

"The Celicas are an invite-only event," Lola finally explained with an apologetic expression. And that comment clicked everything into place as Blake sat back in her seat, now fully aware of what Lola was asking.

"Which means Yang needs credentials."

With a nod, Lola added the words Blake was already thinking to herself.

"She'll need to be registered as an employee of The Vale Voice. You'll need to sign off on it."

No wonder this felt like such a big request - big enough that Lola sought Blake out in person versus sending a quick email. Yang wasn't registered as an employee because...because she wasn't one. This was a temporary arrangement, so there was no need to do that - they weren't even paying her to be here. But by registering her for press privileges, she would be officially linked to their business. Anyone looking up journalists working at The Voice would find her name. She _would be_, for all intents and purposes, an employee.

"Let me think about that and get back to you," Blake finally said, and Lola nodded while standing to leave.

"Please take your time. We still have several weeks before a decision needs to be made. Thank you though - for considering it."

"Of course," Blake replied, and attempted a smile before Lola returned to her desk. Before she even sat down, however, Blake sighed and turned to stare at her computer screen.

Was it really such a big deal? Or was it another situation like the office key - where it _felt _like a big deal at first but, in actuality, wasn't.

The database was made up of names only - it wasn't as if there was a label next to each that specified race. The only way people would find out was if they knew Yang personally or looked her up. Even then, who scanned the registries that closely? Even if someone found out that Yang was human, would they care? Would Blake care? So Yang was human - what was wrong with that? Just like Rico's company - Faunus-owned businesses were free to employ humans who wanted to work with them.

Did it bother Blake that people might find out that Yang 'worked' with them? Or was she more irritated that having Yang's company meant Lola would receive better treatment and better access to some of Remnant's biggest stars?

But that wasn't an issue with Yang. That was an issue with the world they lived in.

Blake already knew that she would agree. If it helped Lola, she would set aside her personal feelings about how The Voice should look and operate. And, surprisingly, her personal feelings on the matter were easy to overcome. Besides, it would be temporary. She could easily remove the credentials after the event ended. It would be as if it never even happened.

Re-focusing on her computer, she typed a short email with her approval and sent it before she talked herself out of it. When Lola read it and beamed, she smiled and went back to her work. If Lola was happy, Blake was happy. And, if Yang had any interest in celebrities, she would undoubtedly be ecstatic when she heard the news.

Satisfied with the resolution to that 'problem,' Blake set off on her own work. Mainly, that entailed some pretty serious editing before responding to several emails about alterations the advertisers wanted to make for that week. After helping them with that, she went back to editing until Sun and Yang returned.

She knew that they had returned without looking up from her desk, which seemed to be a feat of itself. It was probably their personalities - they carried with them an infectious energy that permeated the office with a buzz of excitement. And laughter - they both laughed a lot.

When she looked up from her work, the two of them were talking at Yang's desk - and 'excited' might not even be the appropriate word for their current mood. With all the hand gesturing going on, it would be more accurate to say they were highly, highly enthusiastic about something. Happy that the two got along so well, Blake went back to work and made a mental note to ask Yang later how the interview went.

At least, she _tried _to go back to work, but the energy in the office kept rising. Curious as to what was going on, she found that the rest of the office had joined the conversation. Yang was explaining something to them and they were sharing looks - not bad looks, but interested, thoughtful looks. Interested herself, Blake dropped her pen and headed towards the door. As soon as she opened it, she overheard what Yang was saying.

"Like, Lola - instead of writing about the new movies, you could write about that _gorgeous _giraffe Faunus in that ad I keep seeing when I walk here."

"Oh...she is gorgeous, and a wonderful soul," Lola answered with a nod. "I'd love to write about her and the struggles she faces."

"Exactly! You could focus on _that_ instead of the movies that were just released and all that nonsense. I mean, The Sentinel has an entire page dedicated to reviews anyway."

Joining the conversation, Blake looked around while everyone nodded with what Yang was saying. The only question was...what _was _Yang saying?

"What're you guys talking about?" Blake asked, glancing at each of them in turn.

"Yang had a great idea!" Sun replied, his infectious grin turned up to maximum power. "We should skip all the boring human news and focus on Faunus stuff instead!"

Taken aback by the explanation, Blake turned to Yang in surprise.

"What?"

"I don't think it's _skipping_ the human news," Velvet corrected. "More like...focusing on the topics that affect us the most."

"Naw, I say skip it. Instead, we _only_ write about Faunus stuff - that'll be so much cooler! Right, Blake?"

When all eyes landed on her, Blake had no idea how to respond. Were they suggesting what she thought they were? Skip all of the 'human' content? Focus only on Faunus articles? Why on earth would they make such a change?

Instead of responding, she turned to Yang and motioned towards her office.

"Can you come with me?"

Picking up on the pointed tone, Yang's smile immediately dropped and she hopped off of her desk.

"Yeah, sure. Of course."

When Blake got into her office, she turned around and gestured for Yang to close the door.

"What are you doing?" she immediately asked and watched Yang shift uneasily.

"Uh, sorry, I should've talked to you about it first...but Sun was complaining about how boring basketball is, so I couldn't help mentioning it. Then he was all excited about it…"

"Yang -" Blake said, crossing her arms and motioning for Yang to get it out already.

"Ok, I just...I had this idea that _maybe _instead of writing the same news everyone else does, you guys should focus on the Faunus stuff. That's what you're best at anyway, and it's something really new and unique…" Yang trailed off while Blake's consternation grew with each word.

"How long have you been here? A week? Do you have any idea what it takes to run a paper like this?"

"No, I don't. I'm sorry, I just got excited about it -"

"You're here to observe and help out," Blake pointed out, unfolding her arms in order to gesture with them. "What're you thinking anyway? Weiss asked you to _watch _how we operate, not try to change the entire makeup of the paper." When that thought crossed her mind, Blake narrowed her eyes. "Unless this is what Weiss was _trying_ to do all along..."

It was a devious move if it was true. Get Yang into the office under the pretense of observing, then use her to float the direction Weiss wanted the paper to go. But then why send an inexperienced human? A Faunus would have made it much easier -

"Blake," Yang said, her eyes apologetic and begging for forgiveness. "I swear, Weiss only asked me to show up, help you out, and let her know how things go. I'm sorry I brought it up. It was just an idea I had last night after talking to you about what you wanted The Voice to accomplish. I wasn't trying to undermine you or anything. I was just...talking."

Blake had expected Yang to argue, or to fight for the idea. What she hadn't expected was a sincere apology. Again, she was overreacting to the situation. Yang hadn't meant any offense - like she said, she was just talking and an idea popped out.

As Blake's anger dissolved, it added to her growing amazement at Yang's utter believability in all instances. What was it about her that was so easy to trust?

"That's ok," she finally said, releasing her annoyance in a long sigh. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound so...stern."

"Hey, it's ok." For a second, it looked like Yang was going to leave, but instead she remained. "But...maybe you could think about it? Making a change - focusing on topics that mean more to your readers. Cut out the filler about sports and weather and all the other crap we get on our phones. That's stuff the other papers write about."

"We already have those articles."

"But not _enough_ of them," Yang asserted before pointing out the dirty window towards the world passing by outside. "There's gotta be at least a hundred stories happening out there every day that people need to hear about."

"We don't have the _capacity_ to do what you're suggesting," Blake replied, hearing the bite return to her tone.

"If you removed the other stuff -"

"Those are articles people want to read."

"No, those are articles _humans_ want to read," Yang said, and gave Blake a look that challenged her to say otherwise. "Don't pander to people like me, Blake."

"I would never do that -"

"Wouldn't you?"

Blake's indignation grew, but Yang had asked the question seriously, without the intent to insult. And then she stepped closer, moving into Blake's personal space before stopping - the two of them close enough to touch, as if friends having a sincere conversation. Blake's first instinct was to move away, but she didn't. Instead, she stayed put and held onto Yang's gaze.

"To me, it feels like The Voice reports human news in a Faunus voice," Yang explained, expressing her opinion softly. "I think you should report _Faunus_ news in a Faunus voice."

"What good would that do?"

Blake kept her own voice quiet - soft - not wanting to raise it in anger or frustration when Yang's words struck a chord in her.

Sadness flashed through Yang's eyes at the response, and she raised one arm as if she might take Blake's hand. Instead, she lowered her arm and moved a half step closer.

"Things are changing, Blake." When Blake scoffed at the idea, Yang gave her a look and continued. "Maybe you haven't felt it yet, but I have. I'm stumbling across more people who are...curious...about Faunus. They want to know what you're up to. They want to know what kind of lives you have. They want to know what makes you different -"

"We're not different -"

"But you _are_," Yang said, her voice imploring Blake to agree. "You are different and that's _not_ a bad thing. It's a great thing. A wonderful thing. You're trying to fit in, but why? You _should_ stand out. Because you're unique, and people want to hear from you. Not you, the editor of The Vale Voice, but _you_. The girl I was talking to last night. The one with hopes and dreams, but obstacles and roadblocks. Maybe I'm biased, but I would listen to you tell your story all day. And I'm not the only one."

The statement was surprising for the resolve behind it, and it made Blake realize that this wasn't just some off-the-cuff idea. This was something Yang believed in.

With everything Blake knew, she couldn't and _shouldn't_ discount Yang's opinion, especially seeing as how Yang had far more insight into what humans were thinking than Blake did. But that didn't mean Yang had any idea how such a change could work in this environment. Even if it was a valid concept...

"Have you thought about what you're suggesting?" Blake finally asked. "That's a change to the entire composition of the paper. The structure, the layout, we'd have to overhaul everything. And we might not even have the topics to fill the pages."

"You could have a smaller paper? Fewer pages with more impactful articles. Then everyone will read the entire thing instead of skipping to the sections they like and trashing the rest."

The idea that people 'trashed' the papers they worked so hard on made Blake frown, even though she knew Yang was correct. Everyone had different interests, so creating a paper that appealed to a greater group meant that certain sections would take precedence over the others.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, she slumped her shoulders and sighed. She couldn't get upset at Yang for suggesting a change. Having a fresh set of eyes on a problem was normally a great thing - if it was a problem. In this case, everything was running smoothly and had been for quite some time.

"I appreciate what you're trying to do," she replied while meeting Yang's eyes once more. "It just doesn't seem feasible at this point."

Finally accepting the answer, Yang nodded and smiled - again, that easy-going persona erasing any disturbance from Blake's mind.

"I get it. It's a big change, huh? But if anyone can figure out a way to make it work, it's you."

"I appreciate the vote of confidence, Yang, but let's keep things the way they are for now."

With that decided, Yang nodded and returned to her desk without argument. Sighing again, Blake followed only as far as the door but paused before closing it.

"I could write about the Faunus plays in the park," she overheard Lola whisper.

"I loved that one about the cheetah," Velvet replied with a smile. "It was so original."

"Oh, or what about that dude," Sun added, making rapid hand movements while trying to find the words.

"You mean that street performer?"

"Yes!" he said, snapping both hands Velvet's way for the correct answer. "That dude is so awesome - you should _definitely_ write about him."

Her brow creasing at the rampant excitement, Blake shot Yang another glance before closing the door and returning to her seat. Picking up a pen in an attempt to go back to editing, she instead tapped it against her desk while watching everyone work.

Or not work. They were still too busy talking about that idea.

Turning away from the half-edited article, she pulled up the calendar on her computer. The next edition came out in two days. That wasn't enough time to make any sort of change, but the week after…

What was she thinking? They couldn't make a wholesale shift in the vision of The Voice. What they currently used _worked_. Although with decreasing efficiency…

If they cut two pages, there would be room for...could they write two articles each? Could they find enough 'impactful' topics, as Yang put it? First-person articles, Faunus analyses, room for Velvet's photographs…

Maybe Blake was more interested in the idea than she initially thought. She'd never cared much for reporting the weather - like Yang said, the other papers ran daily and always covered those topics.

Maybe the purpose of The Voice wasn't to supplant those papers, but to supplement them.

Two articles each. If they began as soon as the next edition hit the printer, there could be time. If she worked fast, she could reformat and get space restrictions out in a couple of days. That would leave plenty of time to hone in the articles while she worked with the advertisers to make changes.

_Tap, tap, tap._ Her pen hit the desk while her ears picked up the faint 'what if's filtering into the room.

What if they _didn't _make a change? What if they kept going as they'd always done? If recent trends continued, they would continue to lose readership and, therefore, relevancy. Maybe they survived the year, but what then? Even if they got Schnee Industries to advertise, could they continue this way for the next five years? Ten?

Deep in thought, her eyes drifted to Yang - who was reading and conspicuously not joining in the conversation going on around her. When she looked up and caught Blake's gaze, she mouthed 'sorry' before turning back to whatever she was reading.

It was a courteous gesture, and Blake appreciated that Yang was trying not to fan the flames. But it appeared as if the fire was already lit - avoidance would only cause it to grow out of control.

Dropping her pen, she stood up and walked back to her office door.

Sometimes they needed to change, no matter how much they wanted things to stay the same.

As soon as she opened the door, attention returned to her - everyone undoubtedly curious as to what she would say. What did she have to say? She was only a small piece of this paper, only a small piece of what they were trying to accomplish together. It was unfair for her to make a decision of this magnitude on her own.

"About Yang's idea," she said, addressing her friends and colleagues as they grouped around Lola's desk. "I'd like you to go home tonight and think about what would be best for our readers, for The Voice, and for you. We can continue as we have, with what's expected of us. Or we can try a version of this idea where we focus on the most impactful stories we can find."

With various enthusiastic expressions returned to her, she nodded once before waving towards the door.

"Feel free to head home early, if you'd like to get started on that. We'll discuss first thing tomorrow morning."

When the excited conversations started once again, she turned towards Yang but failed to come up with anything to say. She just chastised Yang for what could be a great idea - or, at least, _an_ idea. In the situation they were currently in, they could use any ideas they found, even if the source was questionable. Hadn't Blake struggled to come up with anything for the past year now?

As everyone else took her up on the offer to leave early, she didn't move. And, even though Yang stood up, she didn't leave. Instead, they engaged in a silent standoff while Blake tried to decide how to best apologize.

It wasn't until the office was empty, however, that she felt comfortable enough to speak.

"I'm sorry. I should have been more...receptive."

"I should've talked to you first - not Sun," Yang replied, her smile an answer of forgiveness Blake hadn't realized she was seeking.

"In _most_ cases, it's probably best to talk to me before Sun."

When Yang chuckled, it felt like the relationship between them had been restored - as easy as that. Or maybe it was only Blake who felt the tension, to begin with.

"Maybe you'll start writing again too?" Yang asked.

"What?"

"I found your articles in the database," Yang explained with a wave towards the computer. "I read all of them. They're amazing."

"I'm glad you liked them," Blake replied, but felt slightly embarrassed that Yang found those remnants from a time long past. Not only found them but read them.

"I didn't just like them, I _loved_ them. They're heartfelt and inspiring. Even when it was something that seemed like it should be mundane, the way you write is so in touch with what it means to be a Faunus. Not what we guess it might be like, but what it's _really_ like."

The compliments brought a blush on Blake's cheeks as she failed to come up with a response. It was nice that Yang liked those old articles so much, but they were from a long, long time ago.

"That's what everyone needs to read, Blake," Yang added, her heartfelt gaze giving Blake no opportunity to duck away. "We need to hear your perspective. And a human can never write your point of view better than you can."

Unsure of how to respond to the overabundance of compliments, Blake dropped her gaze and shook her head.

"I haven't written in a long time…"

"Yeah, I noticed from the dates." When Yang moved closer, Blake looked up and caught her gaze. "But that's what you love to do, and you're damn good at it too."

"I don't have time...at least, that's what I tell myself," Blake confessed before shaking her head. "Honestly, I'm just trying to keep this place afloat. Maybe if things get more stable I can find something to write about, but until then..."

"You'll save it. I know you will," Yang said with a grin that warmed Blake's heart, but she hid the emotion. "They're all lucky to have you."

"I hope your confidence isn't misplaced."

"Of course not. I know who to bet my chips on."

When Yang smiled, Blake realized how close they were standing - close enough that she could pick out the flecks of gold in Yang's eyes. Surprisingly, it wasn't as uncomfortable as she would have expected, but she still stepped back as her cheeks warmed again.

"You can take off now too," she said, crossing her arms when they tingled. "We had a late day yesterday."

"Are you sure? I can stay..."

"It's ok." Even though she declined, she gave Yang a grateful smile for the offer. "I'm going to edit anyway - and that's really a solitary thing."

"Ok, if you say so." Reaching over, Yang grabbed her bag off of her desk and smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Have a good afternoon," Blake replied before watching Yang leave.

It was only when the door closed that she sighed and trudged back to her desk. Once there, she pulled up one of her old articles and skimmed through the paragraphs. She wouldn't say 'inspirational,' but she remembered how much she loved writing it. The words flowed easily, the sentences formed themselves, and the underlying argument was concise and clear.

When she tried to write these days, her mind bogged down with uncertainty or just wouldn't start at all. She didn't know what happened - she knew of writer's block, but this didn't seem like any writer's block she'd ever heard of. If The Voice got back on solid footing, maybe she could return to writing articles herself...

Until The Voice was saved, she couldn't risk the future of the paper so that she could contribute again. This, ultimately, wasn't about her. This was about Brand and Lola and Victor - Velvet and Sun and all of the Faunus who wanted to succeed in an unforgiving world.

The Vale Voice needed to survive. If it didn't, their voices would be lost amongst the sea of Faunus failures.

An entire paper dedicated fully to Faunus perspective? It was a crazy idea. It was so crazy, it just might work.


	11. Chapter 11

Blake was so anxious the next morning, she nearly skipped her tea. She seriously considered it too, but after the last time she knew better than to pass up a semblance of normalcy on a day that could be anything but normal. It was Thursday - she would be in full editing and organizing mode for most of the day, but what came _before_ that filled her with apprehension. Thankfully, her peach tea was in hand as she hurried to the office.

She had no idea what the day would bring, but in preparation she spent all of last night relying on pros and cons lists to help make a decision. Or _try_ to make a decision, but there didn't seem to be one. Every option came with positives and negatives...enough of them that her coworkers' words this morning would cast the deciding vote.

Would they throw the current version of The Voice onto the garbage heap, or would tradition win out? They were excited when Yang brought up the idea, but had the reality and magnitude of such a change sunk in by now? She sincerely hoped so. This wasn't a topic to be discussed lightly.

First into the office, she turned on the lights and crossed the room to drop her bag on her chair. After turning on her computer, she walked away before it started, opting instead to sit on the corner of Yang's desk and wait for everyone to arrive. No way could she concentrate until they decided what path to follow. Until then, she would sit right here and deliberate on their choices while drinking her tea.

She wasn't sure how long she sat there, but the sound of the door drew her gaze up to find Yang slipping in.

"Hey," Yang said while walking over and setting her bag on the floor.

"Good morning." When Blake moved to get off of Yang's desk, Yang motioned for her to stay.

"You don't look like you got much sleep…" Yang added, her gaze fixating on Blake so intently that she turned away.

"I had a lot to think about."

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be." Turning back to Yang, Blake shook her head. "I've tried to think of how to gain more readers for a while now. My stubbornness wouldn't let me consider something so drastic, but maybe that's what we need."

"Ok…" Yang replied, but still sounded unsure. "Just...please don't do something you don't want to do."

"Do I seem like someone who would do that?" Blake replied with a smile and raised brow. And, finally, Yang broke out that radiant smile Blake had come to expect.

"No. You don't."

"Then you have nothing to worry about."

Smiling in relief, Yang sat in her chair and scooted closer.

"What do you think they'll say?" she asked while clasping her hands above her knees.

"Honestly? I have no idea…"

"What do you _want_ them to say?"

Before answering the question, Blake gave Yang a long look. What did she want? She wanted to fall asleep not worrying about where their next rent check would come from. Or go home on time and not feel guilty for failing the people who worked with her.

"I don't know…" she answered, giving Yang a small smile right before the door flew open.

"Blake!" Sun shouted as soon as he saw her. "Oh man, I'm so excited! I came up with about a thousand topics I could use!"

"Ok, Sun," she said before motioning for him to calm down. "Let's wait for everyone else to get here first."

After he nodded and rushed to his desk, she shared an amused smile with Yang. "I guess we know his answer," she said, watching Yang's smile widen. "Can you distract me until everyone's here?"

"Uh, sure!" Yang beamed at the task and leaned forward. "I went and played Thunderball with those guys last night."

"Did you really?"

"Yeah! I took my sister too. Turns out she's pretty good at Thunderball - helps that she's fast and can jump. Of course, some of those guys can _literally_ jump over our heads, so we're not going pro anytime soon."

"Did you have fun though?"

"Oh definitely. Ruby did too. Tony asked where you were - I think he might have a little thing for you." When Yang winked and nudged Blake's knee, Blake leaned away and shook her head.

"I'm pretty sure Tony _and_ Ben are interested in you," she replied, but Yang just laughed.

"They're all really nice. Except when Tony made me screw up like five times in a row - that wasn't so cool."

The way Yang frowned made Blake chuckle, but that carefree energy disappeared when she realized the day's discussion was close at hand. Velvet and Victor were already here, and Lola had just walked through the door. Now they were only waiting for Brand, who needed to be looped in on the idea since he was out yesterday.

"How're you doing?" Velvet asked while bringing her chair closer to Yang.

"I guess we'll see in a bit," Blake replied with a shrug, but still noticed the concerned glance Velvet exchanged with Yang. Were they both worried about her now? Because she was doing just fine.

When the door opened one last time, all conversation stopped as they turned towards Brand. For his part, Brand froze when he realized everyone was staring at him.

"Uh...this isn't some type of intervention, is it?" he asked while taking a hesitant step forward, but Sun burst out laughing.

"It is! You spend _way_ too much time with your kids, Brand. Like woah. Bad dad award."

Relaxing at the joke, Brand walked to his seat and set down his briefcase. "What's going on?" he asked while turning towards them.

"We're having a meeting," Blake explained. "An idea was tossed around yesterday that we should make a change to the composition of The Voice." She made sure not to attach the idea to any one person's name for fear it might cloud his opinion. "We're discussing whether or not we should stop reporting the general news that's run by the daily papers."

While Sun nodded at the brief description, Brand frowned.

"What would we report instead?"

Glancing at Yang, Blake mulled over how to present this. She'd thought over the idea last night, to the detriment of her sleep, while sorting through hundreds, if not thousands, of 'what if' scenarios.

"We would report Faunus news," she said, presenting the most condensed version of the idea before elaborating. "We would highlight Faunus achievements, Faunus failures, Faunus lifestyle. We would worry about the general news only in its direct impact on Faunus. We would become, essentially, the voice of the Faunus community."

She watched the idea sink into Brand's mind, watched him absorb it and turn it over one, two times. But he didn't outright reject the proposition, which she took as a sign for her to keep speaking.

"I asked everyone to think about what they'd like to do. If you'd like some time to consider it -"

"No," he broke in before she could offer him more time. "Go ahead - I'll listen to what everyone else has to say."

"Ok." Satisfied with the response, she turned back to the group at large. "The way I see it is we have a few options. We can accept the idea and make a change as soon as possible - fully change the way The Vale Voice operates. We can reject it outright, or modify it - maybe by creating a mix of the usual news with more of this new content. Or we can table the idea for now and come back to it later."

Those were the only possibilities she came up with last night. And, looking at her coworkers' thoughtful expressions, her heart rate rose in anticipation of the discussion to come.

"Who wants to go first?"

She was ready and willing to listen to their thoughts and take them under heavy consideration. Hopefully, they had a clear idea of what they wanted, because she wasn't sure which answer she would choose on her own. Thankfully, this job wasn't about what _she_ wanted to do.

"Victor?" she asked, nodding to the man sitting across from her, knowing he always had an opinion to share. Today was no exception, as he sat forward to speak his view.

"Personally, I believe we should pursue this new course of action in full. It will be a rapid but noble change. I'd love to shine a more direct light on the laws and policies affecting our people." As he spoke, his chest puffed out proudly. "I'd like those humans sitting in government to squirm like they're under a magnifying glass catching the scorching sun."

"Vicious!" Sun cheered, reaching over to give the somewhat-confused Victor a high-five. "Love it."

Blake smiled at the response and turned towards Sun.

"What do you think, Sun?"

"I'm on board with Vic frying people," he joked before leaning back in his chair. "But I'm all for this! Do you have any idea how many cool sports Faunus have that humans know nothing about? Two words for you - Flounder Ball."

"What's Flounder Ball?" Yang asked, and he pointed both arms in her direction.

"See? Exactly! Forget soccer - I wanna write about Flounder Ball. And Cross Cutter. And Underwater Racing!"

"I'll take that as a 'yes' then," Blake replied with a smile.

"A big yes!"

"Ok - Lola?"

Always the most hesitant of the group, Lola shifted in her seat before speaking out.

"Some of the best makeup artists in Vale are Faunus, yet no one knows their names. Clothing designers, too. I'd love to send more publicity their way." Pausing, Lola took a deep breath before adding in a more concerned tone. "I think our Faunus readers will love the change in direction, but I worry about how it will be received...elsewhere."

"A valid point," Blake agreed with a nod. "We could open ourselves up to a great deal of scrutiny or worse - anger and backlash."

"Right," Lola said, relieved that Blake understood her source of worry.

"So we wouldn't do this because we're worried the humans might get angry?" Brand suddenly spoke up, his addition to the conversation drawing surprised glances from the room.

"I'm mentioning it as a possibility," Blake explained. "We want to consider these things before inviting more hatred into our lives."

"Even so," he replied with his signature mixture of gruffness showing through. "I think we should do it."

"You...do?"

"Don't sound so surprised," he said with a chuckle at her shock. "I might be an old stick in the mud, but I'm open to change. Plus, there are crimes against Faunus that go unreported or worse - reported and no effort is made to solve them. We should bring those to light - maybe the community can solve what the police won't. Or maybe enough outrage could force change within the department. We need more Faunus officers to begin with."

"Wow. Ok…"

Out of everyone, Blake expected Brand to be most resistant to change. Seeing as how he hadn't even known about the idea until this morning, she was amazed that he'd already come to such a strong conclusion. She spent all last night thinking about it and _still_ hadn't reached a conclusion.

"Velvet?" she asked, turning towards her friend. "What do you think?"

"It sounds like a positive change for us," Velvet replied with a sincere smile. "We can write about the people and topics _we_ care about, and provide a different point of view to what's out there. I'd love the opportunity, but you already know that I'll agree with whatever you think is best. We all will."

At Velvet's words, Blake looked around the group as they nodded. Having heard their largely positive responses, however, she knew what her answer would be. She could never ignore what her friends and colleagues wanted and, admittedly, the prospect of featuring only Faunus appealed to her as well.

Before she announced any decision, however, she turned to Yang.

"I'd like your input too."

"Oh, no." Yang leaned away and waved her arms in front of her. "This is your paper - your lives - my input doesn't matter."

"But you're currently a member of The Voice," Blake replied. "Which means you get a say. I'm sure we'd all like to hear your thoughts."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw everyone nod or smile at those words. Even so, Yang was hesitant, and wrapped both hands around her knee before leaning forward.

"Ok, well...yeah, I think it'd be great if you focused on Faunus topics, not only for yourselves but because there's nothing like it out there. Even if someone wanted to learn more about Faunus, it's really hard without befriending one. And sometimes doing that is...intimidating…" Trailing off, Yang glanced at Blake before wrapping up. "It's something I'd _want _to read, and I don't read much."

Blake smiled for the honest response, which was what she'd expected from Yang.

"The human has spoken," Brand even joked, and the rest of the group laughed while Yang finally broke into another smile.

"But what do you think, Blake?" Velvet finally asked, and the room quickly grew silent in anticipation.

The time had come. A decision needed to be made, which would be final from here on out. Or at least, final until they came together for another meeting like this one.

"I agree with you," she finally said, trying to look as certain as possible. "I think that the purpose of The Voice shouldn't be to report the same stories as the daily papers, but to present unique articles highlighting Faunus life. Maybe we've played it too safe - kept ourselves out of the spotlight by writing what everyone wants us to write. Maybe our human readers won't like it, but we'll provide more meaningful content to the Faunus community."

Pausing and looking at Yang, Blake allowed her gaze to linger before moving around the group. "If humans _do_ read these new articles, maybe they'll learn more about what it means to be Faunus. Maybe that will lead to tolerance, progress, and change."

It was a monumental decision, and the brief silence following her words said as much. With an agreement reached, however, now the hardest part was underway - doing the actual work to implement such a wholesale change.

"Do you want to change everything at once?" she asked, only to look around and nod when she received nods in return. "Then so be it. Brand, put together a piece for this week explaining the upcoming changes. Victor, work with Sun to create an ad to promote the next issue. Everyone else, finish up your pieces for this week as soon as possible and start planning different articles for next week. I'll get you space requirements as soon as I redo the layout."

As soon as she stopped talking, everyone sprang into motion to tackle their new tasks. Victor scooted over to Sun's desk to create a new advertisement based off of the last one they ran. Brand immediately put his head down working on an announcement to run in The Voice this week, which Blake now had to find space for - prominent space, at that.

"Velvet? Can we discuss a few topics?" Lola asked, waving Velvet over to her desk while pulling up a blank document on the screen.

And Blake watched the teamwork with pride. _This_ was what they'd been missing for quite some time - excitement, dedication, and passion. That wasn't to say that they weren't passionate or dedicated on any other day. They were. But right now she could _feel_ the renewed energy in the air. This was dedication in its most obvious form.

Thinking about the term, she couldn't help but feel that if Weiss had seen this on the day she visited, Yang would never be here. Of course, if Yang had never worked here, they never would've had this idea to begin with.

That realization made a strange feeling brew in Blake's chest...one she could only describe as thankfulness. After the way she initially treated Yang (which admittedly, had been quite frosty), Yang stuck around and did her best each and every day. Not only that, but she became their friend and colleague - the only thing that made her different was that Weiss paid for her to be here.

This idea felt right. It could be Blake's bruised ego speaking, but after pandering to company after company for so long, having a semblance of control over their future was a relief. This was something they could own and execute to the best of their abilities. Maybe it wouldn't work. Maybe nothing would change. But it was worth a shot.

"Yang," she said before motioning for Yang to follow her to her office. Once inside, she turned around and gestured for Yang to close the door. "Will this affect our agreement with Weiss?"

"I honestly don't know. She didn't tell me much of what she was looking for."

Tapping her fingers on the desk, Blake briefly bit her lip then shook her head.

"If I need to, I'll explain...that this was all your idea." When she smiled, Yang laughed at the lighthearted tease.

"She won't be surprised that I couldn't keep my mouth shut, that's for sure."

Opening her mouth to respond, Blake momentarily paused before committing to what she wanted to say.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't as...receptive...as I should have been."

"I'm sorry I stepped over the line," Yang replied, but Blake shook her head. The apology was unnecessary on Yang's part, after all.

"One of the best parts of working with people of varying backgrounds is that you develop new ideas - ideas you've never considered before. I shouldn't have shut you down so quickly. You have valuable input just like the rest of us."

"Oh...I'm...glad you think so."

When Yang smiled, her eyes shone brightly, and they shared that smile for a few seconds before Blake looked at the layout lying on top of her desk. It had to be completely redone, with the current advertisements resituated into fewer pages with fewer, longer articles. It was a radical change that would take some time to figure out, but she already had a good idea of how many separate pieces would go in this new form.

"I'd like you to work on an article for next week," she added, and watched Yang's eyes widen when the words sank in. "Pick something that's meaningful to you but still fits our new theme."

For the first time since Yang showed up, she actually looked at a loss for words.

"Uh...I dunno about that. I'm not much of a writer. I'm more of a rah-rah type of person."

"Then I'll help you," Blake replied with an encouraging smile. "It will be your words and your voice, but I'll give direction and help you put it together. And I'll edit, of course."

Even with the offer of help, Yang bit her bottom lip in obvious doubt.

"I don't know…"

"It would mean a lot to me," Blake added.

"It would?" When Blake nodded, Yang gave a slow nod in return. "Ok...then, yes. I'll do it. Or try. No guarantees on how good it'll be though."

"I'm only asking for your best effort," Blake replied while reaching out and touching Yang's arm in reassurance. 'Best effort' must be a magic phrase to Yang, because she beamed and nodded.

"You'll get that, definitely. I promise to try a hundred and fifty percent."

"Good." Happy with the answer, Blake grabbed a notepad and a pen and handed both to Yang. "You might want to write this down."

Yang immediately sat down on the edge of the chair and prepared to write, looking up at Blake with attentive eyes.

"You'll want to decide on a topic today. Try to figure out a general outline of what you hope to say and if you need to interview anyone. If so, call them today and set up a time to meet - ideally, the beginning of next week. If you can't reach them today, you'll want to try again first thing Monday morning. Once you do the interview, you'll use the notes to write the article the middle of next week while researching facts, then we'll edit on Friday."

"Jeez…" Yang said while looking up from her fervently scratched notes. "You guys do this every week?"

"Yes, we do," Blake replied with a smile at the compliment.

Tearing the page off of the notepad, Yang read it over and nodded. "Ok. I can do this. I think."

"You can. But you'll want to start thinking on a topic now."

Accepting the advice with another nod, Yang returned to her desk at a brisk walk. Smiling after her, Blake sat down at her own desk and tried to wrap her head around everything that had to be done before next week. Not only that, but she needed to finish _this_ week's issue as well.

One thing at a time...the first task was drafting an email to their advertisers with an explanation of the changes. Hopefully, they wouldn't balk at the idea. If they did, she would convince them to give it a chance for a couple of weeks, just like she was willing to give it a chance for a couple of weeks.

If this failed, it would be a huge waste of their time. Worse, it could create negative publicity and anger, or turn away their most loyal readers and their few remaining advertisers. They could end up in a worse position than they were currently in.

If it seemed like a risk, that's because it was. But there was also potential.

Putting her head down and getting to work, she had an email written and sent to the advertisers in the next hour. It would take some time before she received responses - in the meantime, she printed a blank layout of the paper and started making changes to pare down space.

After removing four full pages, the arrangement of advertisements and articles took shape. The writers would stick to their general subject areas so the categories remained the same. However, if they wrote lengthier pieces, the advertisements could be used to break up large blocks of texts and make it look more digestible.

The more she worked on it, the more she realized it wasn't a true paper anymore. It was more of a...compact magazine or a section of editorials.

It was a big change, but they'd all agreed to it. The next issue of The Vale Voice would be drastically different...and hopefully that was enough to catch their readers' attention.

By the time a tentative blueprint formed, Blake's mind was in dire need of a breather. Her normal job was taxing, but she _knew_ how to do all of it. This was uncharted waters, and the constant second-guessing as to what would work best drained more of her energy than normal.

Looking into the office, she found the bustle still ongoing - Velvet was reading whatever Brand wrote while Victor and Lola were having a lively discussion about something. In the end, Blake's gaze settled upon Yang, who had her head in both hands while staring at the computer screen.

Blake wasn't the only one venturing into unknown territory right now...

Deciding to take a short break, she left her office in favor of walking over to Yang's desk.

"Are you doing ok?" she asked, breaking Yang's concentration away from the screen.

"Oh, uh, I think." After a quick peek at an entire page of notes lying on the desk in front of her, Yang rubbed her eyes. "There's just...a _lot_ of options."

"There are, but you can't go wrong if you pick something you care about."

"That's part of the problem," Yang replied with a gesture to the notes. "Apparently, I care about a lot of stuff."

Looking at the page, Blake discovered that was true. The topics written ran the gamut on issues facing Faunus and the greater community of Vale. But when she read through them, she didn't find any that struck her as being right for Yang.

"Can you think of an interaction you've had with a Faunus that really stuck with you?" she asked in an effort to help. "Like a conversation or a moment when you _felt_ something change the way you viewed the world?"

When Yang's gaze lingered on her for long enough, a small blush crept up the back of her neck.

"Yeah, that's happened a few times," Yang finally answered, and Blake nodded - satisfied that she'd provided some direction.

"Think about one of those times. What about that moment was special to you, and how does it fit into society overall?" she added, and watched renewed determination light Yang's eyes before she walked away.

By the time she returned to her office, she was rejuvenated enough to dive back into the enormous task at hand. She could have started immediately, but her eyes caught Velvet's as she crossed the room and let herself into the office.

"Hey Velvet," Blake said, not bothering to pick up her work while Velvet sat down. "How's it going out there?"

"We're making progress. Lola has some great ideas. I think Victor is interested in helping her with one."

"Really?" When Velvet nodded, Blake tried to imagine what that mashup of writing styles would look like. "That would be...interesting…" was the only thing she could come up with.

"You can say that again. But I wanted to know what you need me to do."

"What do you mean?" Blake asked, her brow knitting together in confusion. "Just...keep doing what you've always done. The only change will be the focus of your pieces."

It seemed like the correct response, but Velvet shook her head.

"I know you, Blake. You'll work yourself to death to get this done, so tell me how I can help. There must be something I can take off your plate."

Blake didn't bother arguing because Velvet would know it was a lie. Instead, she acquiesced, and her gaze returned to Yang as she tried to come up with something.

"Have you eaten lunch?" she eventually asked, and Velvet gave her a puzzled look.

"No. Why?"

"Can you take Yang and pick up lunch for the office?"

After glancing at Yang, Velvet gave Blake an even more confused look. "I can…"

"I think she could use your advice right now," Blake answered before Velvet asked the question, but remained vague so she wouldn't have to explain the entire situation. "Plus, it doesn't look like anyone's leaving for lunch, and I've been told that skipping meals is bad for you."

She smiled while repeating Velvet's words back to her, which Velvet took with a light laugh.

"Sure. We can do that." And she nodded once before heading out to speak with Yang.

While Velvet did so, Blake felt a small amount of relief that one potential problem was taken care of. If Yang was smart, and Blake had no reason to doubt she was, she would take the opportunity to pick Velvet's brain for a way to hone in on a great topic.

Velvet had a wealth of experience and always helped others with their topics when they needed it. Blake didn't know how Velvet was so good at creating topics - the only theory she'd come up with was that from taking so many photographs, Velvet had developed an uncanny sense of what subjects could be found where there didn't seem to be any.

Once the two left the office for a lunch run, Blake set aside plans for next week in order to focus on finishing this week's edition. Sitting in her email was a copy of Brand's article - the one centered around his interview with the attempted bank robber.

After printing it out, she grabbed her blue pen, set the tip on the paper, and read it the first time. Then, instead of immediately going through a second time for edits like normal, she left her pen on the desk and took the page with her to Brand's desk.

"Brand, this is amazing," she said while waving the page to grab his attention. Looking up at her, he beamed.

"Glad you think so. I thought it was pretty good myself."

"This is better than good." Looking down at the page, her eyes sought out the most memorable sections to read again. "Did he really go on record saying this stuff?"

"He did. Surprised even me."

"Wow." Staring at the quotes Brand used, her mind inevitably went to Yang. "So...Yang's a highly effective flirter."

That response made him laugh, drawing her gaze as he shook his head.

"I wouldn't say she was flirting, but she's easy to talk to."

Nodding at the appropriate summation of Yang, Blake turned towards the desk behind her.

"Hey Sun?" she asked, and Sun quickly took off his headphones so he could hear. "How'd Yang do with the basketball team yesterday? For the interview?"

"Oh, man! She rocked it!"

His response built a strange feeling in her chest - almost as if she was...impressed...with what Yang contributed. Yang might not have any experience in journalism, but she used what skills she had to help everyone else.

"Those dudes were _all_ over her," Sun continued - the added commentary erasing whatever good feeling Blake just had. "Pretty sure most of them gave her their number, and the star of the team asked her out." Thinking about the memory, he chuckled and shook his head. "_Pretty _sure he's married, but I'm not judging -"

"Thanks, Sun," Blake cut him off. Turning back to Brand, she raised the article and said, "I think we should save this one for next week - what do you think?"

"That sounds good," he agreed with a nod. "If I make some changes, it will fit nicely."

"Perfect. Then I'll wait for the next version before proofing?" After receiving his nod, she smiled and headed back to her office.

A lot was going to change next week, but if they came up with more pieces like the one in her hands...it could be their best issue ever. Hopefully, the readers would follow, but only time would tell.

Picking up another piece to edit - this one from Lola - she was nearly finished by the time Yang and Velvet returned. The two passed out everyone's lunches before Yang sat at her desk, sipping at whatever was in the cup in her hand. As Yang got back to work, Velvet brought Blake her sandwich.

"Sorry to bother you…" were the first words out of Velvet's mouth as she snuck into Blake's office and closed the door.

"Velvet...how many times do I have to say that you can't bother me? I think it's literally impossible."

"Well, maybe one more time," Velvet answered while handing Blake a tuna fish sandwich.

"You can't bother me," Blake said and shook her head as Velvet sat down. From their conversation earlier, she had a pretty good idea what Velvet wanted to speak to her about, but asked, "What's on your mind?" anyway.

"I think you forgot to mention something earlier…" After glancing over her shoulder, Velvet leaned closer to the desk. "Yang told me that you assigned her an article?"

"Yes. I asked her to pick a subject she cared about." Blake read the question in Velvet's eyes, but Velvet wouldn't come right out and ask it - that just wasn't the type of person she was.

"It will be the first article written by a human ever published in The Voice," she pointed out instead.

"I'm aware. But this revamp was her idea, and it could end up saving us. Don't we owe her a part of that?"

Blake expected hesitancy, especially considering how big of a milestone that was. Instead, Velvet smiled.

"I think so, but I didn't realize you did."

"What does that mean?"

"You can be quite...protective...of our status as Faunus only."

"Yes, but desperate times call for desperate measures."

When Blake waited for a response, Velvet gave that knowing smile she had - the one that suggested she knew something about Blake that even Blake didn't.

"Something like that," Velvet replied as one of her long ears bent forward. "I was just wondering where you're at. We're all with you - in any decision you make."

"Well...this is where we're at," Blake said, picking up a stack of unedited articles but setting them down when Velvet's smile refused to budge. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, not funny. You've just seemed a lot...happier...recently."

"So the stress has finally cracked me and now I'm delirious?" Blake retorted. Laughing at the joke, Velvet shook her head.

"I don't think that's happened yet, but there's been a positive change."

Thinking about Velvet's observation, Blake finally smiled. She had felt better recently. Less...buried under it all. "I think it's because there's an end in sight," she admitted. "Success or failure...we'll know how to move forward. The uncertainty was getting to me."

Nodding, Velvet finally stood up and gave Blake a big smile.

"I'm happy for you. If anyone deserves this, it's you."

Blake's brow furrowed at the response, but she still said, "Thank you," before Velvet left the office. Her gaze then followed Velvet all the way back to her desk before sliding to Yang.

If Blake had to guess, Yang did exactly as hoped and asked Velvet for direction - that seemed evident by her purposeful posture and intent gaze upon her computer screen.

Glad that Yang was on her way to selecting a topic, Blake unwrapped her sandwich and picked up her blue pen to go back to work. The articles wouldn't edit themselves, unfortunately.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Between editing, she fielded questions about their new focus that she didn't know how to answer. Eventually taking a 'break' from the current edition, she wrote down every answer she needed to have by the time Monday rolled around. Everything from word counts, to what styles would and wouldn't be allowed, to what type of titles they could use.

When the end of the day reached them, she watched her coworkers head out together, still mid-conversation while discussing plans. They seemed excited, but she still struggled to come to terms with the decision they made earlier that day.

If there was any solace to be found, it was that they made the decision together. This wasn't her choice and hers alone. They were a team, and they would move forward as such. Into uncharted waters…but they would be together.

It was Yang who ducked into Blake's office last.

"Hey, so...I'm heading out…"

"Ok." Leaning away from her computer, Blake rubbed her eyes and stifled a yawn. "How'd it go today?"

"Pretty good. Velvet was super helpful. I have a few possible topics and will go through them tonight to pick the one I like best."

"That sounds like a great start."

"Yeah, I hope so." Flashing another uncertain smile, Yang nodded towards the papers scattered around Blake's desk. "Do you need help?"

Looking from one stack to the other, Blake eventually shook her head.

"Unfortunately, I think this is all up to me." But she gave Yang a grateful smile regardless. "Thank you for the offer though."

"No problem. I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Of course."

With a wave, Yang walked out, grabbed her bag off of her desk, and left the office behind - but not without looking over her shoulder and sending Blake one last smile before disappearing through the door. That small glance was enough to make her smile as she went back to work.

A lot needed to be done, but she was fairly confident it could be accomplished in time. If she needed help, it appeared there was plenty available.

That thought was a relief as she dove back into her work.


	12. Chapter 12

Having a new direction at work filled Blake with a type of energy she hadn't experienced in a long time. It almost felt like her first days at The Voice again, when she didn't know what the day would bring but was excited to find out.

Until seeing how excited her coworkers were about Yang's idea, she'd never considered embarking on a journey like this. While sharing their excitement, she also knew a tremendous amount of work had to be done in the next week. She would willingly do it for them and The Voice, of course, but first she needed a cup of tea.

Upon walking into the coffee shop, however, she was surprised to find that there was a line. Not only was there a line, but the person in front of her...wasn't Faunus.

A surprise, but a pleasant one. And she waited patiently while Sam made what looked like a rather complicated order. It involved all kinds of syrups and many different machines, but he didn't appear bothered in the slightest. In fact, he seemed to revel in the complicated endeavor while zipping around the bar.

"Here you go!" he said while presenting the drink to the girl with red hair, who smiled and accepted it with a soft "Thank you" before walking to the edge of the store and sitting in an empty booth. After giving the girl a curious glance, Blake decided that the college students were making their way over here, after all.

When she stepped up to the counter, her surprise grew at the fully-awake version of Sam standing in front of her.

"Hey Blake!" he greeted her _without_ a yawn.

"You're awake this morning," she replied. "Finally got used to the early hours?"

"Something like that," he answered with a shrug and soft chuckle. "The usual?"

"Yes, please."

Blake initially believed his answer, but then she caught his gaze flashing to the red-headed girl every few seconds. He probably thought the glances were subtle, but anyone looking at him right now would see that his thoughts were elsewhere.

"Alright, all done," he said while sliding the cup to her and picking up the money she'd set out to pay.

Lifting the cup to her lips to hide a smile, she murmured a soft "thank you" before accepting her change and heading out. As she opened the door, however, she glanced over her shoulder and found him trying to nonchalantly glance the girl's way.

Shaking her head at how obvious he was being, she took a sip too early and burned the tip of her tongue. Not too bad, but bad enough for her to avoid tempting fate for the rest of her walk to the office.

Sam had a crush - that was cute. Now, Blake was curious about the pretty redhead. Was she a college student who came in for an early morning coffee and place to study? Had Sam met her before, or was this the first meeting? Most importantly, would he do anything about it, or was he content to cast not-at-all-subtle glances?

As much as Blake would love to dwell on someone else's life for a change, her own was giving her more than she could handle at the moment. After walking into the lobby, she hurried upstairs to the office, eager to get to work.

Sticking her key in the lock, she was surprised to find it already open. After a brief moment of panic swept through her, she mentally chided herself and pushed open the door to find that Yang was already there.

"Good morning," Blake said, closing the door behind her as she walked inside. Surprised by the voice, Yang spun around and smiled when her eyes found Blake.

"Hey, good morning!"

"You're here early." Stopping by Yang's desk, Blake leaned over to see what she was working on. That answer appeared to be...pages and pages of notes spread across her desk. "Are you still deciding on a topic?" Blake asked, turning to the side and finding Yang looking thoughtfully at her work.

"Yeah...it's a little harder than I thought, so I'm trying to get an idea of what I could do with each one." When Yang straightened the stacks of paper, Blake saw a clear organization amongst them.

"You have three choices?"

"Yup. Happen to have a three-sided coin I can flip?" Yang asked with a grin. Chuckling at the hopeful question, Blake shook her head.

"All out of three-sided coins today, sorry. But I'm sure whatever you choose will be great."

When Yang beamed at the response, Blake's heart warmed considerably.

"Anyway," she added, "I'll be in my office if you need anything." Feeling Yang's eyes following her away, she didn't turn back until she reached her desk. And by the time she sat down and took another sip of her cooled-down tea, Yang was back at work.

Blake couldn't escape the sense that she was actually impressed with the effort Yang was putting into this assignment. Of course, she never would have suggested it if she didn't think Yang would do a good job. But she was organized and thinking through her options. The overanalysis wouldn't work very well if she was a full-time journalist, but this was her first article and she had time to make it right.

While waiting for her computer to start, Blake took another sip of tea and snuck a glance at Yang. Still poring over the piles of paper, Yang wore an expression of utmost concentration while mouthing words to herself. The expression was almost distracting, as Blake wanted to watch Yang puzzle through this problem rather than do her own work.

As soon as her computer was ready, however, she tore her attention away and found emails from several of their advertisers. Most were lukewarm about the idea, as suspected. Until they saw the vision in print form, they probably thought it was too radical for their businesses. She would respond with assurances that this was anything but radical. While a dramatic shift for them as a paper, their subjects and topics would be nothing other than commentary on Faunus events. The remainder of the emails were more worrisome, with expressions of doubt or concern about the change. Those companies either put their questions into the email or asked for her to call for what probably wouldn't be easy conversations.

If The Voice lost advertisers because of this, they would be worse off than before. But maybe that was only bringing the inevitable closer. If they were already headed towards failure, the least they could do was attempt a hail mary.

Glancing at Yang one more time, Blake sighed and got to work. As much as she would rather help Yang decide on a topic and outline, she had too much to do right now.

First, responding to every email from every advertiser, which took far longer than expected. Such a big change demanded a delicate response to ensure the advertisers committed for a trial run, and at least gave The Voice a chance to prove they could do this. Once every email had a response - in some cases two when the company immediately came back with more questions - she didn't have time to make the return calls _and_ get this week's edition ready. The calls would have to wait until next week.

Hearing two knocks on the door, she looked up and motioned Yang inside.

"Hey, I got you a sandwich." Yang held up the wrapped sandwich before setting it on the desk. "Figured you were trying to skip lunch."

"Is it lunchtime already?" Blake asked before looking at the clock. Finding that it was, in fact, lunchtime, she sighed and shook her head. "Sorry, really busy today. But thank you."

She gave Yang a grateful smile while picking up the sandwich, which Yang returned with a small smile of her own before backing out of the room and closing the door behind her. Blake watched Yang walk back to her desk, briefly talking with Lola and Velvet on the way before sitting down and getting back to work.

After unwrapping the sandwich and taking a bite, Blake smiled and dove back into her work. The afternoon consisted of finding a spot for the announcement Brand wrote, which summarized the change coming next week. Due to its importance, it went on the front page where everyone would see it. Then she took the advertisement Sun and Victor created and sent it off to The Tribune and Sentinel to run for the next week. The big papers had no problem accepting advertising dollars from any company, so setting that up only took the time and effort of navigating through their submission process.

If The Vale Voice's purpose was no longer to duplicate the articles written by The Tribune and Sentinel, then advertising there made sense to her. Those readers could _also_ read this revamped version of The Voice and find new, possibly interesting pieces of work. The change in mentality would take some getting used to, but she could do it..._if_ this change stuck.

Right now, the disruption to her routine caused discomfort and stress. But whenever she looked out of her office and saw the enthusiasm and collaboration taking place, she couldn't help but hope this worked. Even if it didn't work, wasn't this a better way to end their time together - not with a whimper, but with a roar?

That's what she kept reminding herself when the afternoon arrived sooner than expected, and she suddenly found herself with only a couple of hours to finish the last 'normal' edition of The Voice. She'd already pulled out her outline and opened the program on her computer when she paused and glanced into the office. After tapping her fingers against the desk for several seconds, she made a decision and stood up. Her legs protested the movement after spending most of the day in the same position, but they stretched on the way to the door before she opened it.

"Yang?" she asked, drawing a lilac gaze her way. "Do you have a moment?"

When Blake motioned into the office, Yang nodded before getting up and hurrying over. "What's up?" she asked, walking in and smiling when Blake closed the door behind her.

"I thought you'd like to see how I organize the final version of the paper," Blake replied while returning to her desk. "I know things are changing next week, but this process will be mostly the same, just with fewer pages."

"Yeah! I'd love to see how you...work your magic."

Chuckling at the response, Blake gestured to the spare chair before sitting on her own.

"Pull that chair around," she instructed before moving to the side to make room for Yang on the same side of the desk. Once Yang dragged the chair beside Blake and sat down, Blake pointed towards the computer.

"Here's the layout," she explained, using the mouse to point out what they were looking at. "And here's the one I sketched out." Picking up the pieces of paper, she handed them over for Yang to look at.

"You did this yourself?" Yang asked while flipping through the pages.

"Yes. I like to have it in a form I can hold." Moving closer to the computer, Blake loaded the electronic versions of the articles into the template then motioned towards the handwritten version in Yang's hands. "I have to rearrange a lot, as you can see, but afterward I just drag and drop the pieces into place."

From memory, she dragged and dropped the files into spots as she remembered. Velvet's photo on front, their announcement bottom right, Victor's piece also went on the front page, along with a few advertisements. With the first page completed, she motioned for Yang to find the second. Once Yang had it, she leaned close and held it up so Blake could glance at it before turning back to the screen.

"It's like a puzzle," she explained while she worked. "Each piece has a spot where it fits perfectly. It might fit elsewhere, but it won't be quite as good. Plus, there needs to be a certain flow of information - we can't put Lola's articles on life right next to Brand's articles on crime, for example."

When Yang chuckled, Blake paused and smiled at her.

"Makes sense. I wouldn't want to read celebrity gossip then get surprised by highway robbery."

"In another life, he could be one of those true crime novelists," Blake commented while dragging Brand's article into place. The way he wrote had a gritty feeling that made the readers feel like they'd been there, or were otherwise impacted by the results. Blake remembered first reading through his work - she'd never been so drawn into the telling of a robbery gone bad.

"In another life, I'd be an aquatic dancer."

Blake laughed at the answer and turned to find Yang smiling.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah! I love the water. Don't you?"

Blake's ears twitched at the question, which drew Yang's gaze before her cheeks colored with embarrassment.

"I think that answer should be obvious," Blake replied, sparing Yang a smirk before going back to her work.

"Yeah, but...isn't it bad to make assumptions?"

The question gave Blake reason to pause, and she leveled Yang with a long, contemplative expression before smiling. As usual, Yang found a way to surprise her when she least expected it.

"You're right," she replied with a nod. "But I don't like water very much. It...runs in my family."

When Yang smiled, looking far too appreciative of the clarification, Blake moved to page three and quickly dropped everything into place.

She'd never met a feline Faunus who liked water much, but assuming that all of them hated water might be a stretch. There were always anomalies, after all. Kind of like Yang, who was, as far as Blake was concerned, an anomaly of her own.

"I put in the columns first," she narrated while dragging the words into place. She glanced to the side when Yang leaned closer, then focused on finishing up the layout without making any mistakes. "And the ads last." Opening a folder holding their paid advertisements for the week, she worked even faster dropping them into their designated spaces. "I don't know if that's the right way to do this," she admitted while the page filled with life. "But I was never really trained so...I just do what feels right."

A few seconds later, the newest version of The Voice was complete, with no blank spaces and no noticeable formatting errors.

"There you have it," she said, leaning away so Yang could better see the screen. "This is what The Voice looks like before it's printed. Now, I send this off Raphael -"

After saving the file, she prepared an email to their printer.

"Wait," Yang said when Blake attached the file to an email. "You don't walk over each week?"

"No, I only did that so you could see how the printing works."

"Oh." When Yang sat back in her seat, she looked almost disappointed by the news. "I just thought -" Yang's brow creased for a second before she shook her head. "Yeah, nevermind. This makes more sense."

"It's more efficient this way." Even though Yang nodded, Blake mulled over the situation until she thought she found the source of Yang's discontent.

"Did you want to walk over again?"

"Naw. I know you're busy -"

Before Yang finished the excuse, Blake grabbed a thumb drive, stuck it in the computer, and copied the file onto it.

"I can spare a few minutes." Once the transfer completed, she pulled out the device, stood up, and looked at Yang. "You'll come with me?"

"Of course!"

When Yang shot out of her seat with a giant smile, Blake felt more assured that this was the right decision. If Yang wanted to see the printing process again, Blake was willing to accommodate. Besides, she hadn't left the office since this morning, and her legs could definitely use the activity.

"Let's head out then." Leaving her office with Yang in tow, Blake waved to Velvet as they walked past. "Taking this to the printer," she explained while raising the memory drive. "Have a good weekend."

In the midst of packing up, Velvet paused and gave them both a smile.

"Have a good weekend to you, too," she replied before giving Blake an inquisitive look. But Blake waved off the expression while leaving the office with Yang in tow. She needed a break and Yang liked watching the printing - sounded like a win-win in her book.

"Thought you weren't going to leave your office all day," Yang said when they reached the lobby and headed outside. "Glad I was wrong."

"I've recently discovered the value of taking short breaks." When Yang hurried forward to get the door, Blake smiled in gratitude and walked outside. Immediately greeted by the cold evening air, she rubbed her hands up and down her arms and blew out a breath. As they headed away from the building, she wished she'd taken a break when it was still warm...or at least remembered a jacket.

"Here, take my jacket." By the time Blake turned towards Yang, she was shrugging out of the jacket and offering it over.

"Oh, it's ok. I'll warm up -"

"But it's pretty cold, and it's only going to get colder, you know?"

When Yang pushed the jacket closer and looked genuinely serious about the offer, Blake's resistance faded.

"Are you sure?" she asked anyway. She knew the additional layer would work wonders in keeping her warm, but she didn't want it if Yang would then be cold.

"Definitely! I tend to be hotter than most people, anyway." Again, Yang held up the jacket and motioned for Blake to put it on, so she acquiesced and slipped her arms through the sleeves.

"That sounds like a not-so-subtle boast," she teased while Yang wrapped the jacket around her shoulders before gently turning her around.

"I didn't even notice that one," Yang replied with a soft chuckle, though her concentration was elsewhere as she fit the ends of the jacket together and pulled up the zipper. Once that was done, she rubbed her hands up and down Blake's arms to warm them while Blake watched her with a small smile.

Yang had such a tenderness about her...as if she was used to or enjoyed taking care of others. Regardless of who she was and what she represented, Blake couldn't help being comforted by the caring gestures. And when was the last time she felt taken care of by someone other than her parents?

"Better?" Yang asked, gently grasping Blake's arms while meeting her gaze. And the look in Yang's eyes said everything Blake wanted to see - that if she _wasn't_ better, Yang would find another way to make it so. Fortunately for them both...Blake felt much, much warmer.

"Yes, thank you."

Finally letting go, Yang stuck her hands in her pockets and smiled.

"No problem. Can't have you catch a cold, after all. Then who'll run everything?"

As they resumed their walk, Blake smiled and pulled the jacket tighter. It was still warm from Yang's body heat and, when she took a deep breath, an unfamiliar scent filled her nose.

But it wasn't as unfamiliar as she would have expected. It was definitely Yang, but a more all-encompassing version - as if Yang was wrapping her in a hug, with the only thing missing being the heat and feeling of their bodies pressed together. The effect was so comforting, her decision to accept the jacket felt like one of her best yet. If anything else, it proved that she'd gotten so used to having Yang around, she could pick out her scent. Citrus with a vague flowery undertone...

"What shampoo do you use?" she asked as they turned the corner and continued down the next block.

"Oh, uh...sunflower citrus."

_Sunflower_. Nodding, she made a mental note with the new smell.

"Why? Is it bad?"

"Not at all. I was just curious."

Tilting her chin down, Blake subtly took another deep breath and smiled. Definitely not bad. It actually filled her with a content and fluttery feeling that was unfamiliar yet...pleasant. She didn't mind it at all.

But when they rounded the next corner and she spotted Raphael's shop just up ahead, she remembered one of the reasons why she _hadn't_ wanted to come back with Yang.

"Vincent will be thrilled to see you."

As soon as Blake made the comment, Yang groaned.

"I forgot about that. You'll run interference for me, won't you?" When Yang walked sideways and clasped her hands together in a pleading gesture, Blake raised one brow.

"Why would I do that?"

"Because we're friends, right? Friends don't let friends get hit on while they're trying to work."

"Oh, you see, I didn't know that was a rule of friendship," Blake teased, only to smile when Yang nodded vigorously.

"It is. There are others too - I can get you the handbook if you want."

"Apparently, I need one." Glancing over and spotting Yang looking serious about this friendship handbook, Blake chuckled and shook her head. "Don't know when I'll have time to read it though, so you'll have to teach me on the fly."

"More than happy to." When Yang turned that beautiful smile her way, Blake felt her cheeks warm. Fortunately, the door was just ahead, sparing her from continuing the conversation.

"Here we go." Before she could reach for the door, however, Yang got there first and opened it.

"After you," she added with a playful bow. Accepting the polite gesture, Blake walked inside and searched for Raphael. With the large machines taking up most of her view, she didn't find him until she heard shuffling off to the left.

"Raphael?" she called out. Seconds later, he peered around a corner and smiled when he saw her.

"Miss Belladonna!" he replied while hurrying over to greet her. "Two weeks in a row. What a pleasure."

"It's a nice walk over here," she explained before offering him the flash drive. "Everything you need should be on here."

"Perfect." Taking the memory drive, Raphael walked over to an old computer and plugged it in. While he worked, Blake noticed that Vincent had already spotted Yang and was making his way over to greet her. From his smile, nothing had changed from their previous visit.

"Yang?" Blake asked, drawing Yang's gaze before Vincent said hello. "Do you want to see Raphael load the sheets? I don't think you saw this last time."

"Do you even have to ask?" Beaming at the chance to learn something new, Yang followed Blake over to Raphael and watched the screen over Blake's shoulder. She stood so close, her scent grew stronger and, if Blake edged slightly backward, her warmth brushed against Blake's skin like the most pleasant rays of sun.

When Blake took a deep inhale of sunflower citrus, her heart gave another double-beat of content. The draw to Yang's warmth grew stronger, but she kept herself from moving closer than she already was, which was almost but not quite pressed into Yang's side. While she 'watched' Raphael load the file into his system, her mind and body tried to memorize as much of this moment as possible. And now she couldn't help but imagine what hugging Yang was like - like this, only better?

When Yang turned to the side, she caught Blake's eyes and smiled. They were standing so close, but that didn't seem to bother her in the slightest. Nor did the way Blake stared into her eyes, finding the lively lilac just as entrancing as the smell of citrus and sunflower.

"First..." Raphael mumbled before giving the screen a light tap. The noise snapped Blake out of her thoughts, and she forced her attention back to the process at hand. The rest of his explanation never came, however, as he formatted everything in seconds then flew out of his seat to start the printing process. This time, Yang and Blake watched from further back while he corralled his son and the two of them brought The Vale Voice to life.

"It's still so cool," Yang said while they watched the machines rumble to life and the ink start flowing. Before long, freshly-printed papers rolled off the belt to be stacked and delivered across the city.

"It is, isn't it?"

If Blake was grateful to Yang for anything, it was for reminding her that parts of her job _were_ cool, unique, and worthy of wonder. After doing this for so long, it sometimes had the feel of 'same old, same old.' Every once in a while, stepping back and looking through a newcomer's eyes was a good thing. It offered perspective and, apparently, she'd needed a small dose of it.

When Vincent started wrapping stacks of papers together with lines of twine, she nudged Yang's elbow before walking over and picking one up. "For your collection," she said while handing it to Yang. "Now you'll be _really_ rich someday."

Even though Yang laughed at the joke, she accepted the paper and looked at it with an expression that implied fondness or deep caring. Blake nearly asked about the look, but then Yang caught her gaze with a sincere, hopeful smile.

"Maybe you'll sign it for me?"

Caught off guard by the request, Blake actually took a step back when Yang extended the paper towards her. "Why would you want me to do that?"

"Uh, because you created this." After glancing around and finding a pen on a nearby desk, Yang grabbed it and held it towards Blake too.

"I organized it."

"Sure," Yang replied with a soft laugh, which was clearly only agreeing for argument's sake. "Still. Will you sign it for me?" When Yang motioned with the pen and paper, Blake considered both with uncertainty and indecision. She'd never been asked to sign anything before, and she didn't feel like she could take credit when her words weren't even in this edition.

"I'll ask everyone else to sign it too," Yang added, somehow identifying Blake's concern and addressing it in turn. Giving the paper another little wave, she smiled again. "Please?"

The 'please' erased Blake's hesitation, but she took the pen and paper from Yang's hands with a sigh. Yang, however, grinned from ear-to-ear while Blake set the paper on the desk and signed her name in the top margin.

"No message?" Yang complained before Blake even pulled the tip of the pen away. Shaking her head at the persistence, Blake still couldn't help but smile while writing a quick sentence above her name and returning the paper to Yang.

Yang's excitement looked so genuine, Blake felt a _little_ bad when she held up the paper and read the message aloud.

"'Look behind you'?"

After lowering the paper and giving Blake a confused look, Yang turned around. The moment she did, Vincent caught her gaze, broke into a huge smile, and walked over.

"Oh, so cruel," Yang whispered, to which Blake laughed before patting Yang's arm and walking over to Raphael. She couldn't stop smiling, and nearly laughed again when she heard Vincent strike up the conversation he'd hoped for ever since they walked through the door.

"Everything going alright?" she asked Raphael, still smiling when she glanced over and caught a playful glare from Yang. After winking in reply, she turned her almost-full attention to Raphael, who nodded before patting the machine on the side.

"We'll be done in a few minutes. Then off to the distributors!"

"Perfect." Sending another glance towards Yang, who was now engaged in conversation much like she always was, Blake decided not to leave her to fend for herself for much longer. "We'll head out now, but thank you for humoring us."

"Of course! Feel free to stop by anytime. I know Vince enjoys the company." When Raphael grinned and nodded towards his son, Blake smiled politely.

"Maybe we'll come back again next week," she replied before heading that way. She doubted Yang would fall for such a trap a second time around, so it might be a little while before they returned...

"Excuse me," she said, breaking off whatever Vincent was in the middle of saying. "Sorry for interrupting, but we should get back to the office."

"Oh, right." Yang actually managed to look disappointed by the news before flashing a smile. "We've got a lot of work to do," she explained while sneaking towards Blake's side. "Nice to see you again!"

After a quick wave, Yang looped her arm through Blake's and dragged her out the door. As soon as they were outside, Blake couldn't help but laugh again. Yang, meanwhile, dropped Blake's arm and pouted.

"You just broke one of the rules of friendship!"

"I did, and I'm not at all sorry." When Blake smiled, Yang dropped her pout and laughed.

"Well, I'm not either. Got a date this weekend."

The smile instantly fell from Blake's lips, and she actually stopped walking for a split second before hurrying to catch up.

"He asked you out?"

"What do you think?" When Yang sent Blake a look, Blake's brow furrowed.

"And you accepted?" she pressed and, when Yang shrugged, a less happy feeling pricked at her heart.

"I figured the universe was telling me something if Blake Belladonna broke the first rule of friendship to set me up with a guy. That just screams 'destiny,' doesn't it?"

By now, Blake was legitimately frowning, and she intended on saying no. No that didn't scream destiny at all. Then Yang snuck a grin her way, and she realized it was just a joke.

"You're such a tease," she said, shoving Yang by the shoulder when she started laughing. But Blake couldn't help smiling at the sound of Yang's laughter, and couldn't escape the relief flooding through her.

"Did you actually believe me?" When Yang looked over and saw the expression on Blake's face, she laughed again. "Do you really think I'd do that?"

"Well, I don't know." Realizing Yang had just handily gotten her revenge, Blake shook her head and blew a breath of relief through her lips. "You said you've dated Faunus before so...why not?"

"Uh, because I hardly know him," Yang pointed out. "I've spent a total of three minutes talking to him."

"What's the minimum then - five minutes?"

"_Wow_," Yang said, and Blake laughed while pulling her sleeves over her hands to keep her fingers warm. "You think I'm that easy?"

"I don't think you're easy at all."

"Uh huh…" After several seconds of silence, Yang chuckled and shook her head. "I can't believe you just did that. That was...epic."

Happy that Yang wasn't upset - not that she'd expected Yang to take a joke so seriously - Blake smiled and led them back to the office. She was also, secretly, pleased with how well that worked out. She'd noticed Vincent's attention the moment she took the pen and copy of The Voice from Yang, and she figured he was searching for any possible excuse to walk over.

With a smile still pulling at her lips, she stopped at a crosswalk and turned to the side when Yang accidentally bumped her elbow.

"Sorry," Yang muttered while taking a step away.

"It's ok." Blake appreciated the consideration, but she hadn't minded the contact. If this outing had taught her anything, it was that she enjoyed Yang's presence and everything that came with it. She wouldn't bother attempting to put that into words, however, because she knew she couldn't. Even if she tried, it would sound far more affectionate than she intended.

It wasn't meant to be affectionate. It was meant as a compliment to Yang's...general warmth and friendliness. Plus, her shampoo smelled good, but that wasn't unique to Yang.

"I picked a topic, by the way," Yang revealed while they crossed the street. "And figured out who to interview - I set up a time to meet them on Monday."

"Did you really?"

"Yeah. So I was hoping you have a list of questions to ask or something like that?"

"Well...the questions vary from topic-to-topic."

"Oh. Right. That makes sense."

When Blake glanced over, she could see how far Yang was from her comfort zone. And Blake remembered what her first couple of interviews were like. Well...first dozen, honestly. They were nerve-wracking. Several times, she was so frazzled that she forgot to ask key questions and had to follow up with a phone call after the fact. Writing an article was one thing, but when other people were involved...

"How about I come with you?" she offered as soon as the thought slipped into her mind.

"Really? You'd do that?"

"Absolutely. I can help with questions or take notes so you can focus on talking and not trying to remember everything at the same time."

Yang's eyes widened at the response.

"I hadn't even thought about how I'd remember everything!" she exclaimed before wrapping Blake in a sideways hug and lifting her feet right off the sidewalk. "Thank you so much."

By the time Yang set Blake down, she was blushing.

"You have nothing to thank me for yet."

"Then I'll thank you _again_ Monday."

"Looking forward to it," Blake replied with a soft laugh before leading them around a small construction sign in the middle of the sidewalk. The office was just up ahead, and they'd be back shortly...

"Don't you want to know what I picked?"

After thinking about it for a second, Blake shook her head. "I do, but I'd rather wait and be surprised when we get there."

"Really?" Yang asked in bewilderment. "What if I picked something horrible?"

"I doubt you did."

"You have a lot of confidence in me."

"Should I not?"

For a second, Yang just stared. Then a small smile appeared on her lips, and she shook her head.

"No, I just...don't want to let you down."

"I don't think you'll do that." Surprisingly, Blake firmly believed that statement. While Yang might make mistakes due to lack of experience, she wouldn't make mistakes due to lack of effort. And Blake could more than make up for that lack of experience in editing.

"It'll be fine," she added as additional assurance, smiling at Yang as they made it back to the building. Rather than head immediately inside, however, she paused and prepared herself to go back to work. Usually, she knew exactly what work expected of her. With this change, however...

"Are you feeling weird that things will be different next week?"

Yang couldn't have hit the nail on the head more squarely than that.

"I am," Blake admitted. Dropping her head with a sigh, she gently lifted her hands before letting them fall back to her sides. "Things have been the same for so long that I don't know what to expect. All I know is that it'll be a lot of work."

"But if anyone can do it, it's you."

"I wish I believed that was true," she replied with a shake of her head.

"It _is_ though." When Yang reached out and touched Blake's arm, she looked up. "Don't you realize how much you've accomplished already?"

"It's hard to think about that when there's still so far to go."

"Then let's not think about that for a second." Taking a step closer, Yang rested her hand on Blake's arm and smiled. "Let's only think about you."

"Uh...ok…" After looking at Yang's hand for a long second - memorizing the warmth and weight of it - Blake met Yang's clear, earnest gaze.

"You've kept The Voice running for years. During that time, you've published who knows how many articles that have touched who knows how many lives -"

"Not enough..."

"Changing the world starts with changing _one_ person's mind," Yang said, squeezing Blake's elbow at the same time. "And I'm positive you've done at least that much."

Whatever it was - whether the sincerity in Yang's eyes or the honesty in her voice - Blake wanted to believe. She wanted to believe it was true, that she'd changed one person's mind, and that was all it took - that was the beginning of something great.

One mind at a time...when she thought about it that way, it didn't sound so difficult. It didn't sound so...impossible. But when she opened her mouth to respond - to say thank you - she was cut off by something ringing.

"Ah, shoot." After pulling her phone from her pocket and reading the screen, Yang gave an apologetic smile. "I should get this..."

"It's fine." Blake motioned for Yang to answer, then politely turned away and tried not to overhear the conversation. Depending on her curiosity, that was sometimes easier said than done. But she focused on other sounds as much as possible - nearby cars, a radio playing somewhere, a siren in the distance.

"Hey, Ruby!" Yang answered. "...what?"

The tone caught Blake's attention and made her glance at Yang, whose expression was now worried and surprised.

"How did you do that?" After listening to the response, Yang sighed. "I'll be right there. _Don't_ touch anything."

As soon as Yang hung up, she felt around her pockets and pulled out her keys.

"Big sister duty calls," she said with another apologetic smile. "Apparently, she can't be left unsupervised yet."

"I know someone like that." When Blake looked pointedly up at their office windows, Yang laughed.

"_Exactly_ like that. I gotta run before she destroys their house - see you Monday?"

"Of course."

Yang smiled at the response before heading the opposite direction at a quick jog. It was only when she turned the corner and disappeared from view that Blake realized she was still wearing Yang's jacket. With no chance of returning it now, she kept it on while walking into the building and back to the office to collect her things.

Seeing as how she didn't feel like working at the office anymore - especially not alone - she quickly shut everything off before locking up and heading home. She considered taking off Yang's jacket and putting on her own, but...she was already wearing it, so why go through the hassle of changing? Plus, this one was warm already.

On the way home, she tried not to freak out that today marked the last 'normal' edition of The Voice. They could change back if this revamp crashed and burned, but...she hoped it worked. If today was any indication, her coworkers were excited again. The office had an energy she couldn't remember feeling in a long time, if ever.

Change could be a good thing, even if it was frightening at the same time.

Lifting one sleeve to her nose while crossing the street, she'd already taken a deep breath before realizing what she was doing. Immediately dropping her hand, she decided that she would wash Yang's jacket so she could return it on Monday. Well...she'd wash it at the end of the weekend.

Thinking about Yang brought up questions from their evening together. Most specifically - what topic had she chosen? And why was Blake so foolish as to not ask? Now she would spend the entire weekend wondering...but maybe that was better than worrying about next week.

When her heart fluttered yet again, she decided that was a great idea. She would think about Yang instead of freaking out about work. Because so far, Yang was the only subject remotely capable of dragging her thoughts away from impending change. Any other time, she might question why that was. But right now...she just wanted to embrace it.


	13. Chapter 13

Blake's plan to distract herself all weekend didn't go as anticipated, mostly because thinking about Yang made her want to _see_ Yang. To see Yang, she had to go to work. And work reminded her that everything changed this week, which freaked her out. She didn't want to say she wasn't ready, but...was anyone ever ready for something like this?

Ready or not, by the time Monday rolled around she was relieved to get out of her apartment. Now she could freak out while setting out on this new endeavor rather than freaking out alone. So, with Yang's recently-washed sweatshirt hanging over one arm and a hot tea in the other, she headed to the office with determination and a fair amount of nerves. Those nerves were tempered in part by the knowledge that Yang would be there this week. Not only Yang but the rest of her coworkers, who went out of their way to support each other whenever needed. They were like a family - a work family, but a family nonetheless.

That family, surprisingly, included Yang. Blake never imagined they could welcome someone like Yang into their midst, yet that's exactly what happened. Ultimately, she was grateful for their unexpected new addition. With the changes headed her way, she needed all of the support she could get.

While walking through the lobby, she sipped her tea and sighed at the comforting combination of warmth and subtle peach flavor. So long as she had her morning tea, she could accomplish anything. At least, that's what she told herself while climbing the stairs to the office.

This morning when she found the door already unlocked, excitement rather than panic surged through her veins. That feeling only grew when she headed inside and discovered Yang already there working. Having heard the door open, she turned around and, the moment she saw Blake, broke into a big smile.

"Good morning," Yang said, her gaze never leaving Blake as she walked over.

Once upon a time, she hardly paused for idle conversations while hurrying directly to her office. This morning, however, she approached Yang with the intent of having at least one of the conversations she'd craved all weekend.

"Good morning." Feeling a burst of energy from just _seeing_ Yang, Blake couldn't hold back a small smile. "You're here early."

"I've got a lot of work to do." Yang motioned towards the maze of outlines covering her desk before grinning. "Although I'm sure it pales in comparison to what you have on your plate."

"Don't remind me," Blake replied before blowing a puff of air through her lips. Before Yang apologized or offered help, however, she extended the sweatshirt she accidentally borrowed last week. "Thank you for letting me wear it," she said before quickly adding, "I washed it for you."

Raising one brow, Yang lifted the sweatshirt to her nose and took a deep breath, closing her eyes in the process.

"Mmm...that does smell like you," she sighed before giving Blake a grin. "Would it be weird if I asked you to wash all of my clothes?"

"You...want your clothes to smell like me?"

"Yes, please. You smell good."

"But -" With her cheeks growing increasingly warm, Blake stopped talking to avoid further embarrassment. It probably meant little to Yang, but scent-marking was a very real thing for feline Faunus. And she was a feline Faunus.

Fighting against the blush, she cleared her throat and tried to formulate a proper response.

"I'll write down what detergent I use," she said before hurrying away so she didn't have to explain further. Yang's confusion was nearly palpable as she rushed into her office and shut the door, so much so that she felt guilty for not sticking around to elaborate. Yang didn't mean anything by it, but that didn't stem the waves of embarrassment rolling through Blake's chest.

Noticing Yang sniff the sweater again did nothing to ease that embarrassment, but Blake forced herself to work rather than dwell on a thoughtless comment. Yang thought she smelled good, which was nice. At least she didn't smell horrible.

In an ironic twist of fate, after spending all weekend using Yang as a distraction, Blake now needed a distraction from Yang. Fortunately, work was more than up to the task.

The phone calls she put off on Friday now had to be done today or tomorrow. And apparently everyone was back in the office today, because she had an entire page of new emails to respond to. Between those and Yang's interview, today would be busy. So she did what she did best - put her head down and worked as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Unlike normal Mondays, however, her increased work ethic extended to the rest of the office. Everyone was busy coming up with outlines and topics for this week's edition, and she knew she didn't have to stress how important it was to pick something impactful. The dedication of her coworkers meant there were hardly any interruptions until just before lunch, when Yang knocked on the door.

"Hey…" Yang glanced at the stack of messages awaiting callbacks before giving Blake a guilty look. "If you're too busy -"

"No," she interrupted before Yang gave her an excuse. Spinning away from the computer, she grabbed a pen and pad of paper before meeting Yang's gaze. "Well, yes," she admitted. "But I could use a break. I'll come back and work more later."

It wasn't until she met Yang by the door that she noticed the droop in Yang's smile.

"You've been working so hard all day though…"

Touched by the worry, she lightly tapped Yang's arm with the pad of paper. "I appreciate the concern, but I'm fine. Once the initial rush is over, everything should get back to normal. This week will be crazy, but I can handle it."

"Ok…" For a moment, it looked like Yang didn't believe the response. But, after biting her lip, she smiled. "If you need help with anything, I have some extra sleep I'm willing to give up."

Smiling at the offer, Blake gestured for Yang to lead the way out of the office.

"If this continues into next week, maybe I'll take you up on that." The response provided reassurance to Yang, and Blake knew she wouldn't need the extra help. Hopefully. "We're headed to an interview," she told Velvet on their way out, who nodded and sent them off with a smile.

With Yang holding the door, Blake walked into the hall and immediately sighed. Being away from her desk was more of a relief than she'd imagined. At least out here, she wasn't bombarded by calls and emails constantly asking questions or making subtle demands of her.

Feeling a warm presence near her elbow, she turned and smiled at Yang. As usual, Yang smiled back, and she felt another burst of that contentedness she'd silently craved since walking into the office that morning. For the first time, she wondered if Yang felt it too. Maybe that's why she always looked so happy when they spent time together. At least she didn't _hate_ spending time together...

"Let's get this show on the road?" Blake asked with a wave towards the stairs. Yang nodded and moved that way while Blake stayed near her side, happy to follow someone else's direction for once.

"You still don't want to know where we're going?" Yang asked when they made their way out of the building and into the warm midday sun.

"I like a good surprise every once in a while."

"You could try to guess the topic."

Reaching the sidewalk, Blake considered the question while thoughtlessly following Yang away from the office. If she had to guess, what would Yang want to write about? What was important to her? When Blake snuck another glance and appreciated yet another outfit that accentuated Yang's figure in the most flattering way, she felt like she had a pretty good idea of what Yang liked.

"Faunus models."

"What?" was Yang's shocked response before she dissolved into the cutest giggles Blake had ever heard. "That's a great idea," she eventually replied with a smile and nod. "I didn't even think of that."

Chuckling at the response, Blake tried to walk across the street only for Yang to stick out an arm to stop her and motion around the corner instead. This direction took them towards the neighborhoods instead of businesses in the area, which only increased Blake's curiosity. But she didn't ask even though she wanted to know. She'd already waited all weekend - she could wait another few minutes.

"Speaking of models," Yang added after another block passed in comfortable silence. "You've seen that Faunus on a few billboards recently, right? The model? Her legs do _not_ stop."

"The giraffe?"

"Yeah!" After a pause, Yang glanced Blake's way. "Am I allowed to say things like that, or is it insulting?"

"Things like what?"

"Like...identifying a Faunus by their animal."

"Oh." The question surprised Blake, and she needed a moment to come up with a good answer. "I think...it's fine, but you need to be careful not to misidentify the animal. Some Faunus are really offended by that."

"So you wouldn't like it if I called you a zebra?" When Yang gestured towards a neighborhood street, Blake shook her head.

"If you're joking, I won't mind. If you're trying to be offensive, obviously I will."

"Gotcha. So try to be sure. That can be a little hard sometimes. Especially if they're wearing hats or dyed their hair or something."

"It can be. Not just for you though, don't worry."

"So…" When Yang trailed off, Blake looked over to encourage the question. Sensing permission, Yang continued. "In the interest of being _extra_ certain...what animal might you take after?"

After raising a brow, Blake found that Yang was serious about the question.

"Is that not obvious?"

"Well, my gut screams 'cat,' but you could also be like...a black panther, you know?"

"Exotic," Blake replied with a smirk. "But the first is more correct."

"Got it." Yang gave a cute thumbs up before looking embarrassed about doing so. Sticking her hands in her pockets, she motioned with one elbow for them to turn right at the next street. "Thanks for explaining to me," she added after not too long. "You're really great with these types of questions."

"I am?"

"Yeah. You're patient and understanding, and I don't feel like you'll yell at me for being ignorant."

"Oh...well, you're welcome."

When Yang smiled and fell silent, Blake's brow furrowed. She'd never thought of herself as being particularly tolerant of ignorance, but in Yang's case it was easy to answer without growing agitated. That probably had more to do with Yang's willingness to learn than her willingness to explain, however.

Regardless, Yang trusting her with those questions made her feel...special. She hoped Yang kept asking, if only so she could impart more knowledge to someone genuinely interested in learning more about Faunus.

So lost in thought, Blake walked several steps without realizing Yang had stopped. It was only when Yang reached out and touched her arm that she paused and turned around.

"We're here."

When Yang waved to their left, Blake found...an old house. Nothing differentiated it from the rest of the decently-sized, two-story houses in this neighborhood, except maybe the children's toys strewn across the porch and slightly overgrown grass in the front yard. Even with the mess, however, it looked like a nice family home, complete with the sound of laughter and running footsteps coming from inside.

"Here?" Blake asked, although she couldn't figure out where 'here' was.

"Yup! This is the place. Ready?"

With a single word, anticipation swept through Blake's chest. And, as she followed Yang up the path to the front door, she realized she hadn't been out for a story in what felt like decades. She'd missed this feeling - a buzz that came from not knowing what to expect. She could guess, but sometimes the interview uncovered a gem that led the story in a better direction...or threw it in the garbage. In this case, and for Yang's sake, she sincerely hoped the latter didn't happen.

"Any other guesses?" Yang asked as they stepped onto the wooden porch, which creaked under their feet.

"No idea," Blake admitted. She was curious, to say the least, which only added to her invigorated energy. She loved a good mystery every once in a while, and Yang certainly wasn't disappointing her today.

"I don't know if that makes me feel better or worse," Yang replied with a short laugh before ringing the doorbell. The running footsteps stopped when a chime sounded throughout the house and, a second later, the door opened.

Blake expected an adult to answer, but it was a small child who peeked around the edge of the door. The young llama Faunus looked hardly more than six, with doe-like eyes only adding to an aura of innocence.

"Hey there!" Yang knelt on the porch to speak with their greeter, all while flashing that disarmingly-friendly smile. "I'm Yang. We're here to see Ms. Woodley. Is she around?"

With a meek nod, the little girl stepped back and opened the door without a word. Yang shot a grin towards Blake before walking inside with Blake trailing right behind. The first thing she noticed about the interior of the house was the evidence of more kids - so many kids. The living room overflowed with toy bins, the carpet was a delightful pattern of bright colors, and one wall was covered in bookshelves stuffed with children's books.

"But I _got_ you!"

Turning towards the shout, she found a young fox Faunus sticking out his lower lip in a serious pout.

"Nuh uh!" an older fox taunted while Blake's gaze swept the rest of the room. Faunus children...of all kinds...and all ages...

"An orphanage?" she whispered when she realized where they were.

"Close," Yang whispered back, leaning close and meeting Blake's eyes with a small smile. "Foster home."

"But you cheated!" the younger Faunus argued, not caring that there was company.

"Did not!"

"Boys." The argument stopped as everyone's attention turned to a deer Faunus being pulled into the room by the little girl who'd opened the door. The older woman's attention remained on the two arguers for the time being, and they looked up at her with timid smiles. "What did I say about playing that game inside?"

"Uh...do it?" the older fox replied while the younger attempted an innocent nod. But the woman shook her head and smiled - a smile weathered by years and years of patience.

"Why don't you go outside and play?"

The two boys quickly nodded and raced through the doorway, their footsteps pounding on the wooden floors as they went. The woman watched them go before turning to Yang and Blake with a warm smile, although her eyes lingered an extra second on Yang.

Undeterred, Yang stepped forward and extended one hand.

"Ms. Woodley?" When the woman nodded and hesitantly returned the handshake, Yang relaxed into another smile. "I'm Yang - we spoke on the phone the other day. Thanks so much for letting us come talk with you."

The magic that Yang had about her - in her smile and eyes and posture - worked instantly. Any reticence Ms. Woodley held about a human entering her home disappeared, and a genuine smile appeared in its place.

"The pleasure's all mine," she replied before glancing at Blake.

"Oh, this is Blake," Yang added while Blake shook the woman's hand and dipped her head. "She's our editor-in-chief extraordinaire."

"It's nice to meet you both -" Ms. Woodley paused when the teenage girl reading on the sofa gave a loud, exasperated sigh. Smiling at the not-so-subtle displeasure, Ms. Woodley waved them after her. "Why don't we talk in the office?"

Yang willingly trailed Ms. Woodley into the room to the left of the living room, but Blake looked around for a few more seconds before following suit. Of all the subjects she thought Yang would pick, this one never entered her mind. This topic hardly ever entered her mind, actually, which she now felt extremely guilty about.

"This way we won't interrupt her reading," Ms. Woodley explained while closing the door. "She's trying to finish the rest of that book tonight."

"For school?" Yang asked, sitting in one of the chairs across from Ms. Woodley while Blake took the other.

"No, just for fun." Ms. Woodley smiled at the response before giving them another curious glance. "But what can I help you with? You mentioned you want to write an article…?"

When Ms. Woodley looked to Blake for an answer, Blake motioned for Yang to explain why they were here. Considering she hadn't even known this place existed, she had just as much knowledge as Ms. Woodley right now.

"Right," Yang began with a smile, although Blake could swear she almost looked nervous. "We want to write articles about the issues Faunus face in Vale or...everywhere, really. Obviously, children needing families is an issue _everyone_ should care about, but I think you're...uniquely qualified to discuss how the system works."

Briefly pausing, Yang gave Blake a glance that silently asked how she was doing. Considering Blake's immeasurable interest in hearing more, she smiled and nodded for Yang to continue. After taking a deep breath, she did.

"Everything I've read says the foster care system is working, but I feel like that's not true. I was hoping you could tell us more."

"Well...you're right," Ms. Woodley replied with a serious expression falling over her recent joviality. "The system is broken for everyone, but most of all for Faunus."

Abruptly realizing she should take notes, Blake pulled out her pen and placed it on top of her pad of paper, listening intently while preparing to write.

"These poor children are bounced from home to home or worse - sometimes humans take them in only to treat them like servants. One woman once told me - 'at least they're getting a jump start on adulthood.'"

Blake frowned at the comment, and Ms. Woodley shook her head.

"Is the system supposed to be the same for humans and Faunus?" After the question, Yang glanced at Blake again, but this time continued without receiving encouragement. "I mean, I'm sure they're 'supposed' to be, but are there safeguards to make sure there's equality?"

Ms. Woodley's sigh said it all, but she didn't leave it at that.

"The foster system is outdated," she explained while Blake tried to capture as much useful information as possible. "When a child enters the system, they're added to a roster of available children that all foster parents can see. That system gives the most important information about each child but, in the interest of 'equality,' excludes race."

Even in the midst of writing, Blake wanted to comment on that response. Since this was Yang's story, however, she turned towards Yang instead.

"I'm guessing there's a way around that?"

"Oh, yes." Again, Ms. Woodley sighed and shook her head. "You see, there are no repercussions for sending a child back. All you have to say is that they 'aren't the right fit' for your household, and they're sent somewhere else."

Blake frowned at the concept, and Yang wore a similar expression of distaste.

"So the human fosters who don't want Faunus...just send them back?"

"Almost always."

"How did you end up with all Faunus foster children then?" Yang asked while gesturing towards the entrance of the house. "Is that just a coincidence?"

With each subsequent question, Blake's respect for Yang grew. Not only was she asking the right things, but the way she asked and listened to the responses encouraged Ms. Woodley to be more open and honest than she might be otherwise.

"Quite a coincidence," Ms. Woodley replied with a dry laugh. "I haven't had a single human child walk through those doors, but I know I've selected one more than once. Those children, however, are mysteriously unavailable when I choose them."

Sitting back in her seat, Yang looked like she didn't know what to say other than a soft "wow."

"Just as well," Ms. Woodley replied while waving the concern away. "I'd have no issue fostering a human child, but there are plenty of other parents waiting to scoop them up. This allows me to focus my time and resources towards those who aren't as lucky."

As Ms. Woodley said the words, she waved towards the bookcase taking up one side of the room. Looking that way, Blake found most of the shelves filled with the same uniform blue binders. While the binders were all the same size and color, one thing differentiated them from each other - a name written in the middle of the spine.

"Are those…?" Yang asked while Blake came to the same conclusion herself.

"Every child who's walked through those doors," Ms. Woodley replied. "Some were adopted. Too many aged out."

For a long, quiet moment, Yang stared at the shelves. It wasn't until Blake noticed the way Yang swallowed and sniffed that she realized the emotion clouding lilac eyes. That was the first moment she considered stepping in to assist, but that's also when Yang cleared her throat and turned back to their host.

"If you don't mind me asking, what made you decide to help?"

"My husband and I always wanted a big family…" Ms. Woodley looked out the window at the kids playing tag in the yard before smiling. "After he passed away, I was alone in this big house - a house we built together - and thought to myself...why not? I could still have the big family we'd always dreamed about. And I could help others who'd lost loved ones too soon, just like me."

When another period of silence seemed to extend too long, Blake glanced over just as Yang put on another small smile.

"That's very kind of you," she whispered before glancing at her hands and clearing her throat. "And I was wondering...if you could suggest a solution, what would it be?"

Nodding at the question, Blake prepared to write down the answer.

"All children are vulnerable, but Faunus in particular are even more so, especially at the hands of certain humans. For the system to work, we need to make sure our fosters take their job seriously. And, if they really don't want Faunus, don't give them a Faunus child. Being bounced from house-to-house is detrimental to their fragile psyches." Pausing for a second, Ms. Woodley took a deep breath before adding, "And there needs to be more follow-up to ensure _all _the children are being appropriately taken care of. That follow-up needs to be done by people who genuinely care about what's best for _any _children - human or otherwise."

After Ms. Woodley trailed off, Blake wrote for a few more seconds trying to put everything down and then some. She even wrote descriptions of the binders, as she'd found writing down details now was easier than trying to remember later.

"Those sound like good suggestions," Yang replied with a nod before glancing at Blake once more. This time Blake couldn't tell what Yang was silently asking, but it didn't appear Yang needed an answer as she turned away.

"Last question...can we talk to the kids?"

"Of course," Ms. Woodley replied with a laugh as they returned to what was probably her favorite topic. "They love to talk."

Grinning at the answer, Yang stood and headed back to the living room. Blake followed, curious about what would happen next. As it turned out, Yang walked into the room and right over to the first child she found - a young badger who looked no older than five.

"Would you like to be interviewed for the paper?" she asked him, but he looked at Ms. Woodley first before hesitantly nodding. "You're awesome! Ok." Reaching over, Yang snatched the pen from Blake's hand before kneeling on the floor and using it as a microphone. "My camerawoman is going to record too."

This made the boy even happier, as evidenced by his growing smile.

"I am?" Blake asked, and Yang gave her a playful look of disbelief.

"You mean you forgot how to record videos?" Yang asked before giving an exaggerated sigh. "Hold on," she told the boy before coming over to Blake. "Where's your phone?" she whispered, so Blake fished the device out of her pocket and handed it over.

"Alrightttt…so…" While stalling, Yang tapped through Blake's phone looking for the camera. And she stood so close while she did so, Blake felt the waves of warmth emitting from her - not altogether a bad experience while watching someone fiddle with her phone.

"There you go!" Yang suddenly said, handing Blake the phone with the camera screen up. "I'll tell ya. I gotta do everything these days," she teased while kneeling by the boy, whose adorable giggle made her smile grow. "Ok, first, what's your name?"

When she held the microphone out to him, he looked at her instead of the 'camera.'

"Xander."

"Xander! What a cool name. Are you a cool guy?"

He grinned sheepishly at the question while dragging one foot along the floor.

"Maybe..."

"Maybe," Yang replied with a quick laugh. "You're modest too. Ok Xander, first question. What's your favorite color?"

"Yellow."

"No way! Me too. What makes it your favorite?"

Blake could tell he had no idea how to answer that question, but that didn't stop him from trying.

"Uh...because it's bright?"

"Like the sun!" another child pitched in, having crept over to join the conversation. This young girl, an otter Faunus, had some of the cutest and most intent eyes Blake had ever seen. "Can I be interviewed too?"

"Of course!" Yang said with a big, welcoming smile.

"Me too!" another kid piped in while running over - the small hedgehog Faunus having watched the interaction from afar. As soon as he joined the first two, the foxes from earlier came back inside and wanted in on the action, while the older girl reading on the sofa actually set down her book to participate in the commotion.

Pretty soon, the entire house had congregated around Yang clamoring to be interviewed. For her part, Yang handled it extremely well. Instead of looking overwhelmed, she looked like she was holding court with a group of small children.

"Ok, ok, here's how we're gonna do this. A group interview! Now you all stand together…" After motioning the kids into one group, Yang knelt to one side and looked at Blake. "Now Blake's going to record all of this, so you gotta answer honestly, ok?"

Even though they had no idea what this 'interview' was for, they were eating this up. They were excited. And the idea of being recorded only made them happier. So Blake tapped the 'record' button on her phone and gave Yang a thumbs up, but lowered the screen so she could watch whatever was about to happen.

"Ok." Scooting a little closer, Yang lifted the 'microphone' to her mouth. "I'm going to ask a question, and you're going to shout your answers as a group. Got it?"

"Yeah!" a couple of the kids yelled while the more timid nodded.

"Alright," Yang said with a chuckle. "What's your favorite color?"

When she held the microphone out, the kids shouted a range of colors from blue to green to red. Moving the pen back to herself, she nodded thoughtfully.

"Huh...brown, you said? Interesting…"

Some of the kids giggled while others said "nooo," but Yang smiled and kept talking. "Ok, now we need to know...what's your favorite flavor of ice cream?"

This time when Yang held the mic out, she turned away while the kids shouted flavors in her ear.

"Coffee?" she asked in surprise, and some of them said "ewww" before laughing with her. "Wow, you have unique tastes. But I think I see a pattern here…"

When Yang glanced at Blake, Blake smiled and shook her head. Chuckling again, Yang snuck another glance in Blake's direction before turning back to the group of kids.

"Alright, and...who's your favorite person in the whole wide world?"

"Ms. Woodleyyy!" the kids yelled in unison as soon as Yang held the mic out to them. Shocked by the response, Blake wondered how on earth Yang got them to do that. It felt coordinated, yet it couldn't have been...

"That's right," Yang replied with a kind smile, still using the pen as a microphone even though it wasn't needed anymore. "Ms. Woodley takes good care of you, doesn't she?"

When the kids nodded their agreement, Blake turned and found Ms. Woodley holding one hand to her heart while tears dampened her eyes.

"She's the best!" the older fox said while the badger ran over and hugged Ms. Woodley's legs.

"She is, isn't she?" Turning on her knee, Yang smiled up at Blake and Ms. Woodley, offering the woman a minute to enjoy that moment before finally turning back to the kids.

"Last question," she said while she still had their attention. "How many of you do you think I can pick up at once?"

The kids didn't understand the question until Yang made a show of dropping the pen on the floor and wiggling her fingers. Then they knew exactly what to do - scream and scatter.

Blake laughed while the kids raced around the room trying to evade Yang's grasp. Yang eventually caught Xander though, and she lifted him in the air while his cheerful squeals echoed throughout the room.

"That's one!" Yang laughed before swinging Xander up onto her shoulders. After making sure he was steady, she chased the others around the room while he pointed and yelled out names. Whenever she got close to 'capturing' one of the other kids, they squealed, Yang laughed, and Blake smiled.

"Where did you find her?" Ms. Woodley asked then, drawing Blake's attention away from the spectacle in front of them. Pausing the recording, Blake lowered her phone and searched for the right way to answer that question.

"She was...recommended to us." That seemed like the most appropriate answer, seeing as how she didn't want to get into the details of how Yang ended up at their office. Looking back on it, being 'forced' to work with someone like Yang seemed...a little beyond words.

"A rare breed, isn't she?" Ms. Woodley added, and Blake looked at her - reading the joy in big, expressive eyes - before turning back to Yang.

Her heart beat quickly while watching Yang interact with the children, watching her chase them around the room while laughter, giggles, and squeals of happiness filled the air. The children loved being around her, and if the smile on her face was any indication, she loved being around them too.

A rare breed - the analogy was surprisingly apt. In a world where everything felt so dingy and grey, Yang shone like the sun, standing out from others of her kind.

"That's what we're working towards," Ms. Woodley continued, her smile growing when Yang wrapped the younger fox in a bear hug and lifted him in the air as he shrieked with joy. "We need more people like her in the world. We need more of both of you, but this is a start. The future is bright."

While Ms. Woodley watched Yang with hopeful eyes, Blake tried to find a response to the sentiment. She knew Ms. Woodley was right, at least in regards to Yang. If more people thought and behaved like Yang, Faunus would be much better off - the _world_ would be better off. Not long ago, Blake wouldn't have believed someone like Yang existed. But, having found one, wasn't there hope that more people like her could be out there?

"I hope so," Blake murmured, as much to her internal question as to Ms. Woodley's words. Even if Yang was the only one - a true rare breed - Blake was glad to have met her. More than glad, as an overwhelming and uplifting feeling rushed through her.

"Thank you both for coming out. And thank you, for all you do to help our kind."

"Thank _you_," Blake replied with a gesture towards the children, who'd finally tired out and slowed down. "This has a real, tangible benefit to so many lives. If you can think of anything we can do to help..."

"I'll let you know." Ms. Woodley dipped her head and smiled, but Blake already sensed that the woman had everything handled on her own. The best help would be publishing her story - getting the word out there that Faunus orphans needed help. And that's exactly what Blake would do. Well, Yang would.

Should they really entrust such an important topic to a human?

The moment the thought flitted through Blake's mind, she shook it away. This was Yang's idea. It clearly meant a great deal to her, and she would do her best to make it as impactful as it needed to be. Plus, Blake could help if any direction was needed.

"Alright." Yang's voice drew their attention as she walked over with Xander still sitting on her shoulders. "Think I'm ready to go," she told Blake with a bright smile. When Xander giggled, she glanced towards the ceiling as if confused by the noise. After spinning in a half-circle searching for the source, she gave up and shrugged, which must have taken considerable effort with someone sitting on her shoulders.

"You ready?" she asked, her ear-splitting grin every indication that she wanted Blake to play along.

"Yes." Blake nodded and felt a smile of her own appear. "Are you sure you have everything?"

"Pretty sure! I didn't bring much with me."

With Yang still smiling and Ms. Woodley watching with a sparkle in her eyes, Blake couldn't help laughing while heading to the front door. "Let's head back then."

Hearing another giggle, she glanced over her shoulder and found Xander covering his mouth in an attempt to stay quiet. With another smile, she walked onto the porch and waited to see what Yang planned to do next. And Yang pretended like she would walk right out with Xander on her shoulders, but he was up too high to fit through the door frame.

"Waittt!" he whined at the last second, pushing his hands to the wall before setting them on Yang's head.

"What the -?" Yang turned in both directions before looking up, and Xander waved down at her. "What're you doing up there?" she asked, pretending to be surprised as he giggled again. Having 'found' the stowaway, she carefully knelt to the ground so he could hop down. Staying on her knees, she smiled and tapped his nose.

"You be good, ok?" she said, and he nodded before throwing his arms around her neck for a hug. She looked briefly taken aback by the gesture, but quickly recovered and returned the hug. "I'll see you again, ok?" she whispered. After he nodded, she smiled, tapped his nose one more time, and hurried out of the house.

Without pausing on the porch, Yang flew past Blake and gave her only a short moment to wave goodbye before scrambling to catch up. Curious and confused, she matched Yang's long strides on the sidewalk and waited for an explanation. After several seconds of silence, however, she realized Yang was actually upset or saddened by the interaction. And, while she wanted to know why, she didn't want to pry. Instead, she walked in silence and went over it in her mind.

Sadness was a logical conclusion, but that interview was also inspiring and motivational. Seeing other members of the community doing what they could to help filled Blake with a sense of belonging and even more determination to do her part. They were in this together - they would fix it together. When it often felt like it was her against the world, this was a much needed reminder that she wasn't alone in this fight.

Yang's continued silence, however, prevented her from taking away only drive and determination from that experience. From another block of silence, she could only guess it affected Yang in a more personal way. The thought of Yang being sad was difficult for her to stomach, so she hoped to put the moment behind them by breaking the silence.

"You're great with kids," she said, hoping that getting Yang to talk would help.

"I love kids," Yang replied, looking at her hands rather than at Blake. "They're sweet and unspoiled by the world. If a kid likes you, it's because they like you. Nothing to do with Faunus or humans or any of the political bullcrap."

Hearing the edge in Yang's voice, Blake stopped and caught her by the elbow.

"Yang, is something...wrong?" If it was something Blake could help with, she needed to know what it was. She tried to decipher the flurry of emotions that swept through Yang's eyes but got nothing. Eventually, however, Yang sighed and hung her head.

"Sorry...it's just sad to think of all those kids without families."

"But they have a family," Blake pointed out. "They're with Ms. Woodley now, and you know she treats them like her own. Plus, they can get adopted from there - you never know."

"Yeah, but…" Trailing off, Yang thought about the situation for another few seconds before shaking her head. "But you're right."

Even though Yang agreed, Blake felt like something was still wrong. Instead of prodding too much, however, she tried to keep Yang talking. She had a feeling that as long as Yang kept talking, eventually the feeling would work itself out. At least, she hoped that's what would happen.

"How did you even find that place?" she asked while motioning behind them.

"I ran into a kid once...well, he ran into me. Cutest little bear you'll ever meet. He was alone, so I asked where his parents were. He said 'dead' and made me feel like a horrible person, then laughed and tried to run off. I got him to wait and asked where he lived so I could take him home. I was worried about him being out alone since it was late, so I walked him home. I didn't go in, but I saw some of the other kids through the window. I've just...never forgotten it."

"So you ran into a young Faunus...and insisted on making sure he got home safely?"

"What was I supposed to do?" Yang threw both hands in the air before letting them drop to her sides. "It was getting dark, and he was just this little bitty guy. I didn't want anything bad to happen to him."

"I just don't think many people would've cared that much..."

"Well I care," Yang grumbled, sounding almost defiant in her defense. "He was just a kid. Who knows what could've happened…"

The way Yang muttered that last part suggested the possibilities perturbed her, so Blake changed the subject.

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you choose this subject?"

"My mom died when I was really young." Blake's ears flattened at the answer, but Yang didn't notice and carried on. "If it wasn't for my dad, my sister and I could have been those kids. We could've been on our own. And who knows what might've happened to us then...what if we were split apart?"

Tilting her head back, Yang briefly closed her eyes and sighed.

"The world is messed up sometimes, but knowing that people are willing to open their hearts to strangers…" Yang turned to Blake with a sad smile. "The motherless child in me is really, really happy there are people like her out there. Maybe I didn't need her, but...other people do."

When Yang gave one last smile and turned away, Blake numbly walked towards the office, stunned to the point of speechless. Part of her felt horrible for asking. Part of her felt special and relieved that Yang answered. And the last part of her, the part that was hardest to ignore, realized that she didn't know as much about Yang as she would like. Even worse, most of what she 'knew' was based on assumption due to Yang's appearance, but...hardship didn't care about appearance.

"I'm sorry," she said, knowing she wouldn't feel right if she didn't apologize in some way.

"It's not your fault." When Yang glanced over, it was with a more normal smile. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

Blake wanted to accept the absolution, but she didn't feel right about it. She felt guilty for something, although she couldn't put her finger on what. For bringing it up? For making Yang remember? For assuming Yang's life was a breeze?

Thinking on those questions and more, she absentmindedly followed Yang back into the building and up the stairs to The Vale Voice. When they walked into the office only Victor and Velvet were there, as everyone else probably left for interviews or research already.

"Do you want me to create a rough outline for you?" Blake offered while holding up the notes she took.

"I'd kinda like to try myself. Unless you want to?"

Shaking her head, Blake handed the notepad to Yang and smiled.

"No, I was hoping you'd say that."

"But if I need help...?"

"Of course I'll help you," Blake replied before Yang even finished the question. And she smiled at the relief that crossed Yang's expression from the simple reassurance.

"Thanks for coming with me."

"You're welcome. It was fun." Leaving Yang to work, Blake returned to her office and quietly shut the door behind her. Before sitting down, however, she sighed and pulled out her phone instead. It might be the middle of the day, but after what she and Yang just talked about...she had the strongest desire to call her mom.

On the second ring, the call picked up.

"A call during the day?" her mom immediately asked, a smile evident in her tone. "What a surprise!"

"Hi Mom," Blake replied while sitting down. "I just reached a lull at work -" A bit of a fib. "And wanted to give you a quick call."

"I'm more than happy to hear from you whenever, Blake. You know that."

Blake did know that, and now she felt even guiltier for not calling as much. Here she was, blessed with both parents, only to be 'too busy' to call. Going forward, she would make a concerted effort to call more often...

"I know, and I'll try. Even if it's only for a few minutes, that's ok?"

"Of course it is." Even through the phone, Blake felt her mom's happiness at the unspoken promise. "But how's work? I'm surprised you have a break during the day."

"Ah, well…" Blake considered going into the specifics of how and why she called but ultimately decided against it. "We're making some big changes to The Voice this week. I'll send you a copy once it's ready but...I think you'll enjoy the new direction."

"You're not even going to give me a hint?"

Blake smiled at the consternation in her mom's voice.

"I want you to be surprised," she replied, and her smile grew at her mom's disgruntled "You and your father with your surprises..."

"You'll know soon." Knowing her mom would grill her for clues, Blake quickly changed the subject. "And we've had some office changes too." Her gaze flitted towards Yang with the comment, finding Yang hard at work. "We have a human working here now."

"Really? I thought it would stay Faunus only."

"Yes, but...there were extraneous circumstances. She's really...great though." Glancing at Yang one more time, Blake felt that fluttering feeling in her heart once more. "Very nice. Very sweet. And just...not at all what you'd think from looking at her."

"That's good to hear. I'm glad you like her, Sweetie. I know how...particular you are about work."

Blake's brow furrowed at the response, but she didn't argue it. She could be very particular about her work environment. But she did like Yang, as strange as that was to think.

"How's Sun doing?"

"Sun?" she asked, frowning as the conversation moved away from Yang. "He's fine. Why?"

"He was so funny when we last saw him. Has a great sense of humor, doesn't he?"

"I guess..." Blake supposed Sun was funny sometimes, and a nice guy, but she didn't see him as anything other than a friend and coworker.

"I know you're busy with work, but you need to get out and have fun sometimes too," her mom continued. "And maybe, I don't know, let someone take you out on a date for once?"

"Mom…"

"Ok, ok." After pausing for a second, Blake's mom added, "Have you spent any more time with those exotic cats you mentioned before?"

The question sent Blake's gaze right back to Yang.

"No, haven't seen them," she muttered while watching Yang work.

"Would it be the worst thing in the world to let one of them take you out to dinner?" her mom asked in a lightly laughing tone. "You could have fun! You never know."

Yang caught Blake's gaze then, but Blake looked away. She didn't necessarily like the direction of this conversation, but her mom was only teasing her. And her mom was most likely right - she needed to get out of the office more. But wasn't that why she went on the interview with Yang today?

"I don't know how I feel about a leopard or a tiger…" she replied, and knew she'd walked right into her mom's trap after hearing a laugh.

"Oh the leopard, Sweetie. Definitely the leopard."

"...why?"

She knew she shouldn't ask, but now she was curious - just like her mom knew she would be.

And, as her mom launched into a somewhat-joking, somewhat-serious explanation of the 'perks' of dating a leopard, she realized something. It was something she'd always known, but never explicitly thought about until now though.

Her mom only tried to set her up with Faunus. Her mom only talked about her potentially dating Faunus. Her mom wanted her to end up with a Faunus. Which was...fine, really. It wasn't as if she imagined her future any other way. But, as her attention again drifted towards the greater office and people working there, she found herself wondering what Yang's mom would have wanted for _her_ daughter. But also...who did Yang want for herself?

Blake kind of wished that she knew, and maybe one day she would find out. For now, however, she smiled, listened to her mom's intentionally-awful dating tips, and watched Yang write out an outline. Work would call her back soon enough, but she was content to enjoy this moment for as long as it let her.


	14. Chapter 14

Blake almost didn't leave the office on Monday night because Yang was still writing notes and observations from their interview. She only went home after Yang convinced her to leave, which was why she was surprised to find Yang still sitting at her desk on Tuesday morning. If not for the change of clothes, it would look like she spent the night in the office.

Fortunately, that didn't appear to be the case. And, doubly fortunately, Yang was so absorbed in what she was reading that she hadn't noticed Blake walk in behind her.

In an office of Faunus, an opportunity like this hardly presented itself - their above-average senses made sure of that. 'Sneaking up' on one another was next to impossible, which made this one of the opportunities they all secretly waited for.

Crouching down, Blake carefully set her cup of tea on the floor, lowered her bag beside it, and secured her keys in one hand so they wouldn't make any noise. With that done, she crept towards Yang as silently as a...well, as a cat. Her slow, light footsteps made no sound, and she made it close enough to smell Yang's hair before pausing and nearly aborting her plan.

That feeling only increased when Yang clicked something on the screen and sighed. She was so oblivious, Blake almost felt bad. But...Yang was the one who wanted to work in an office of Faunus, and she was the one so delightfully unaware of the presence right behind her. Besides...if Blake was going to spend the rest of the week buried in work, shouldn't she enjoy a moment of fun when she found it?

But she believed in fairness, so she moved even closer and gave Yang the opportunity to sense her. If Yang's nose worked even somewhat, she should smell Blake now. Or _feel _her presence in some way. When several seconds passed and Yang continued reading, the decision was made.

With a smile, Blake leaned close to Yang's ear and whispered "Good morning."

"Jesus!" When Yang whirled around in her chair, Blake calmly stepped back to avoid being smacked in the face. Satisfied with her prank, she grinned while Yang leaned forward and clutched her chest.

"Holy...hell…"

"Sorry, did I scare you?" Blake asked with fake innocence, only to smile when Yang laughed.

"You know exactly what you did, you wily...minx!"

"I take offense to that," Blake replied while playfully raising her brow.

"Why? Are minxes not cool?"

"They're very cool." Glancing around the office and confirming no one else was around, she leaned close and whispered, "but not as cool as cats."

Upon moving away, she chuckled at the shocked expression on Yang's face. Figuring Yang might be frozen like that for a while, Blake retrieved her bag and cup of tea from the floor before taking a sip and gesturing to the computer.

"How's it going?"

Yang glanced towards the screen before staring at Blake with that same mystified expression.

"Are we really not going to discuss what just happened?"

"You didn't hear me walk in, and I said hello." Even though Blake shrugged as if it was no big deal, she hid a growing smile behind her cup. "Might've scared you a little bit…" she added quietly. Watching Yang's eyes sparkle and hearing that infectious, delightful laugh slip out made the decision more than worth it.

"I feel like you're trying to teach me something…" Yang replied with a playfully-thoughtful expression.

"Pay attention?" Blake offered.

"Or don't sit with my back to the door."

While Blake laughed at the response, she felt miraculously uplifted by the cheer in Yang's warm, lilac eyes. What a nice way to start a Tuesday, even a Tuesday like this.

"Feel free to rearrange your space as you like." Blake held back a smile while Yang pondered the suggestion. Turning her desk around was the solution, but then she would face the opposite direction as everyone else. And then her back would be to Blake's office…

"Damn," Yang muttered, looking between the two doors before shaking her head. "Damned if I do, damned if I don't."

"I look forward to your decision," Blake teased before motioning again to the screen, determined to figure out how Yang's work was progressing. "But how's your piece coming along?"

"Uh…pretty good, maybe? I think. I've written about a thousand outlines." Yang gestured towards her notepad, which was filled with notes. "There's so much I want to say."

"Narrowing down a topic is the hardest part," Blake agreed. "Since you have limited space, you want to be as concise as possible." Hearing light footsteps in the hall, she looked towards the door and waved right as Velvet walked in. After turning away and noticing the disbelief on Yang's face, she felt pride bubble up in her chest.

At least _her_ ears worked.

"Focus on what you _really_ want to say," she suggested, getting them back on topic. "What do you want the reader to walk away with? Keep it simple - just one thought will do."

Biting her lip, Yang looked through the papers on her desk as if the answer was written there.

"You don't have to answer now," Blake added before Yang forced a response. "But think about it, and find me if you need help. I've been buzzing with ideas since yesterday."

"Yeah?" Yang lit up at the words and looked even happier when Blake nodded.

"Definitely," she replied before giving Yang one last encouraging smile and heading towards her office. "Morning, Velvet," she said on the way.

"Good morning, Blake." Rather than leave their greeting at that, Velvet hopped up and followed Blake into her office. "Did I just hear you've been buzzing with ideas?"

"You heard right."

"Then...maybe you'll contribute a piece this week?"

Setting her bag and tea on the desk, Blake sighed and shook her head.

"There's not enough time..."

"Oh please. We both know it won't take more than a day if you're motivated."

That was true. If she was particularly attached to a topic, she could finish a draft in a day. At least, she _used _to be able to do that. With how long it had been since she last finished an article...she wasn't so sure any longer.

"I want to make sure she finishes hers this week," she replied with a nod towards Yang. "Maybe next week."

Even though the answer was purposefully noncommittal, Velvet smiled. Then she glanced at Yang, and her smile grew a little smugger.

"Well, it's very kind of you to help her."

"I'm not just going to drop her in the deep end and let her sink," Blake replied, tilting her head in amusement that Velvet would think so.

"Oh, I know that. But let her flounder a little bit?" When Velvet lifted her hands in a 'maybe' expression, Blake shushed her and smiled as she flitted out of the office.

Instead of returning to her desk, Velvet walked over to Yang and leaned down to say something. As soon as Blake noticed, she focused her ears in an attempt to eavesdrop, but Velvet knew exactly how low to keep her voice to fly under Blake's hearing. Whatever she said, however, made Yang smile and meet Blake's gaze.

"She is," Yang whispered back, loud enough for Blake to hear and cause even more confusion.

Clearly, Velvet's comment was about Blake, but what was it? What had Yang agreed with? From Velvet's expression, it was something Blake wanted to know. And it only took a half-second to decide that she wanted to know enough to try and find out. But she only made it to the doorway of her office before the pipe dream disappeared when Sun raced into the room.

"Blake!" he called out as soon as he saw her. After dropping his bag on his desk and pulling out a notebook, he rushed over. "I need your help. I have _way_ too many topics."

Her job was to help him. She knew that, he knew that, everyone knew that. But first, she snuck one more look at Yang and Velvet. Velvet, in particular, looked like she just got away with something, but Blake couldn't do anything about it at the moment. Instead, she said "Sure, Sun" and motioned him into her office.

Her last look was reserved for Yang, hoping that she overheard Sun's dilemma and understood that even seasoned journalists struggled with topics from time-to-time. He might not be the best example since his indecision sometimes stemmed from wanting Blake to help him, but he still had several years of experience doing this every week.

"What do you have so far?" she asked while returning to her chair.

"A list of every Faunus sport I know." He handed over the notebook before perching on the chair in front of her, and her eyes widened when she flipped through several pages of sloppily-scrawled names. Some she recognized. Others she wondered if he made up.

"Wow." After glancing between the pages one more time, she shook her head and handed it back. "This is...a lot."

"Some of them are variants of others or combinations of two." Accepting the notebook, he ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "But should I start with the most popular? The ones everyone knows about?"

When Blake raised her brow at the assumption that _everyone_ was as familiar with sports as he was, he laughed. "I mean the ones people who know about sports will know about? Or start with a combination - a popular one with an unpopular one?"

She opened her mouth to respond, but he kept talking.

"I was thinking a combination, just to draw attention to the lesser-known sports. Like I could write about the tournament for one of the most popular that's going on right now and pair it with a smaller one for visibility's sake. Then even Faunus might learn something, or enjoy reading about something they're familiar with, right?"

Blake almost nodded, but he interrupted again.

"But what if we don't do this again next week and I miss the chance to write about one of my favorites?" Looking at the lengthy list in his hands, he frowned.

"Can I say something now?" Blake asked, drawing his gaze and a big grin.

"Yeah, of course!"

"Ok." Now that she had his attention, she pushed aside her disbelief that he hadn't picked a topic yet and focused on helping. She already knew he worked best under an immense, unnecessary amount of pressure, so she didn't call him out on it...this time.

"First, I'm trying to buy us at least three weeks to see if this...revamp...makes a difference, so you'll have time to write about a few others. Second, I like your first idea more - pick a popular one and pair it with a lesser-known one."

With anyone else, she wouldn't be so forward or opinionated, but she knew he preferred when she was crystal clear about what she wanted. Or maybe _she _was the one who preferred to be clear so he didn't misinterpret her words and do something crazy.

"Got it!" Beaming now that he had a direction, he slapped the notebook against his hand and backed towards the door. "You're a lifesaver!" he added before hurrying back to his desk, drawing everyone's attention with the loud proclamation.

Most of the office chuckled and returned to work, quickly writing off the situation as Sun being Sun. Blake, meanwhile, smiled at the gratitude before catching Yang's gaze. And Yang smiled - a smile that reached her eyes and made Blake want to walk over and figure out what Velvet said before. Unfortunately, that hope disappeared when Victor arrived for work and motioned to her.

"May I have a minute of your time?"

Realizing this was probably what her entire day would look like - helping solve problems in addition to fielding calls from advertisers - she nearly sighed out loud. Instead, she caught Yang's gaze one more time and gained whatever comfort she could from the sympathetic glance before waving Victor into her office.

"Sure, Victor. What can I help with?"

"I've narrowed the scope of my pieces," he replied, presenting Blake with the printed pages as they sat down at her desk. "But I want to go into the ins and outs of Faunus political life, as well."

He handed over several more pages then - those in draft form. After scanning the drafts and estimating their size, which was already longer than the allowable words she gave him, she looked up.

"You want more space," she said before he took the roundabout way to ask.

"If there is space, I believe I have a compelling case to use it," he summarized with a nod. Sensing that he hadn't immediately won that argument, he added, "Consider the possibilities! I could write an exposition of a candidate who ran for office and lost."

"I'm sure it would be interesting, but..." Considering the request, she glanced over and found Yang still working diligently on whatever she was writing. During this changeover, more was probably better than less. If Victor churned out more than his fair share of articles, which was almost always the case, then they would have extras if needed.

"No guarantees we have space this week," she finally answered. "But _if_ you have time, write what you want. Whatever doesn't fit this week, we'll table for next like normal."

"Delightful," he replied while standing up, smiling now that he'd gotten what he wanted. "Thank you for your time."

With that simple sign off, he left her office, and she scoffed softly in his wake. Honestly, she was surprised he asked permission before inundating her with extraneous articles. Maybe this was his way of supporting her - giving her the opportunity to hold his pen at bay during this transitionary period.

As much as she appreciated the consideration, she planned to do what she normally did, which was editing his pieces when she had extra time. Depending on how the rest of the week went, she might or might not have time at all.

But with the day officially underway, she turned to her computer and checked her unread emails, which were more of the same concerns. Unfortunately, the phone had other plans for her.

On a typical week, they hardly received phone calls. When they did, it was mostly innocuous requests for information or finalizing a meeting or two. Based on the tone of her inbox, however, she already knew the purpose of this call.

She didn't want to answer, because she didn't want to continue the same conversations from yesterday. But she couldn't ignore it either, especially when her coworkers would notice. So she picked up on the fourth ring with a quick "The Vale Voice, this is Blake."

"Blake, this is Jack from The Mad Hopper."

"Oh, good morning, Jack." She forced a smile even though, internally, she wished anyone else could deal with the suddenly-skittish advertisers. "Is there something I can help you with? Do you need to make a change to your ad?"

"Actually, I'm calling about a change I just heard about - that The Vale Voice is going Faunus-only. Is that true?"

"Not entirely." Again, she tried to keep her tone friendly even though the misunderstanding bothered her. "After a great deal of discussion, we've decided to focus on topics that have the greatest impact on the Faunus community rather than duplicate what the other papers cover."

"But...why?" Hearing the disbelief in his voice, she quickly recognized that this would be the same conversation as several she had yesterday. At least she already had her argument prepared...

"Don't you worry there could be backlash for becoming too Faunus-centric?" he added. "Not only that, but there could be backlash against the companies _supporting _the paper too."

Honestly, she worried about that along with a host of other doubts and uncertainties.

"I understand your concern," she said for what felt like the hundredth time. "But I think this change will be for the better. Our market analytics shows this is an underserved segment - people _want_ to read something different, and we want to be the first ones writing it for them."

"...are you sure?"

"Yes," she replied even though she wasn't. "At least give us a few weeks to try this new approach and see if it works the way we think it will. If it doesn't, we'll switch back immediately - you have my word."

The silence on the other end of the line was promising, as was the soft sigh that followed.

"You're the expert," he finally replied. "A few weeks is the least we can give you. But if we get too much negative feedback..."

"I understand." And she did understand, enough so that she nodded even though he couldn't see her. "I don't think that will be the case, but rest assured we all know the importance of what we're doing."

"Ok then...good luck to you. I'll make sure to grab a copy this weekend."

"Please do. And thank you for the call." She added that last part even though she didn't feel very grateful for the call or the reminder that what they were doing could put The Voice out of business even faster than their previous trajectory. After his "have a good day," however, she hung up, put her head in her hands, and sighed.

Even if he agreed with the idea in theory, any backlash could reflect poorly on his company as well as every other company advertising in The Voice. Which made her wonder...should they forego all advertisements in this first edition? Fiscally, that would make it much more difficult to survive if this failed. So, no, she couldn't risk the advertising dollars this week, which meant she needed to keep everyone on board for this trial run.

One more down, who knew how many to go…

Hearing a soft knock, she forced another smile and looked up as her door opened. The smile grew easier to hold, however, when Yang walked over and set a cup on the desk.

"I got you another tea." She nodded towards the cup as a small smile pulled at her lips. "I know you had one earlier but...figured it might be cold by now."

Surprised by the thoughtful gesture, Blake glanced at the tea that had been all-but forgotten since walking into her office. After touching the side to confirm it _was _cold, she picked up the cup Yang brought her and sighed as it warmed her hands and sent a breath of calm rolling through her.

"How'd you know?" she asked before sniffing the tea and taking a sip. "Mm, and you picked my favorite."

"Peach?" When Blake nodded, Yang blew a breath of air through her lips and smiled. "Thought I smelled it this morning. I'll remember that."

"Thank you," Blake said, but Yang waved off the gratitude.

"Don't mention it. Consider it thanks for helping yesterday."

"I should be thanking you for letting me come along -"

"Are you kidding? I have no idea how I would've made notes _and_ held a conversation at the same time. I probably would've come back with a whole bunch of half-quotes and forgot most of what happened. But you wrote things down word-for-word."

"It gets easier with practice," Blake replied with a smile. Yang was being a little hard on herself. Holding a conversation and remembering responses verbatim didn't come easily.

"Or some people use a recorder," she added. "I've always preferred handwritten notes though. Although that's only because..." Suddenly realizing how embarrassing her reason was, she cleared her throat and tried to change the subject. "I hope you can read my notes alright?"

"Perfectly. But that's only because what?" The grin on Yang's lips suggested she knew Blake just tried to change the subject, and also suggested that Blake wouldn't get out of this no matter what she said. So, she settled upon the truth.

"Because I think it's more 'traditional,'" she admitted. "And I enjoy feeling like I'm...an old-timey reporter, jotting notes with pen and paper before typing everything up on a typewriter."

Blake knew Yang was going to laugh by the way her lilac eyes sparkled with humor. And the moment she did - that light, joyful sound filling the room - Blake felt her lips lift with a smile and her heart do a happy skip in her chest.

"I'd ask if you're kidding," Yang said, hardly able to reign in her giggles. "But I know you're not - and that's so freaking adorable!" When Blake shushed Yang so the rest of the office didn't hear, Yang's laughter redoubled.

"And they don't know?" she whispered.

"Of course not. Why would I tell them that?" The admission was mortally embarrassing, yet Blake was still glad to have said it. Yang's reaction was...precious.

"To explain the old-timey typewriter you have hidden around here," Yang replied in a hushed voice. When she made a show of looking for a typewriter in the room, Blake shook her head.

"It's not here."

"But you _have_ one. Where? At home?"

Blake hadn't realized she just walked herself into a trap, but the joyful look on Yang's face said as much. Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately), the phone rang. She jumped at the unexpected noise, then sighed when she realized she had yet another uncomfortable conversation to have.

"Today's going to be another crazy day…" she muttered while Yang backed towards the door.

"Have you caught your breath from yesterday?"

The phone rang again, and Blake shook her head while reaching for it.

"Not in the slightest."

But, armed with a fresh tea and the afterglow of another pleasant conversation, she charged through the rest of the day. Several other advertisers called, but each of them agreed to a three-week trial after listening to her explanation. In the midst of those calls, she helped Brand and Lola narrow the focus on their pieces for the week, browsed a stack of stunning photos Velvet took over the weekend before picking a few she liked, and pre-edited Victor's nearly finished articles, which were fascinating but extremely dense.

With so much to do, the day flew by and, before she knew it, her coworkers were heading home. Only then did she turn her attention to formatting The Voice to fit their new, slimmer layout. Considering she inherited the previous format from the past editor-in-chief and had only made slight updates over the years, pursuing such a big overhaul felt a bit out of her depth. But, as with everything, she would try her best.

After printing several blank pages to use as practice, she arranged everything across her desk before noticing that only Sun and Yang were left in the office. And Sun was sitting on Yang's desk talking her ear off.

Considering he had only just decided on a general theme for his articles, Blake knew he had a lot of work to do. She also knew Yang was nervous about her own work. And, when she noticed the way Yang glanced at the computer every few seconds, she decided to help. It would be penance for what she did at Raphael's the other day.

So, taking her one break of the day, she left her office and walked over to see what was so interesting.

"- if you catch the ball, you can tag a runner out or try to score," Sun was explaining when Blake joined them. Yang's gaze locked onto her immediately, but he had yet to notice her presence. "It's harder to score that way," he continued unaware. "But if you _can_, it's really awesome. Everyone loves those plays, which is why I always try. Go big or go home, right?"

"What are you talking about?" Blake finally asked, and Sun turned towards her with a smile.

"Explaining the rules of Runner-Gunner," he replied, not at all perturbed by her sudden appearance. "Then maybe Yang will try it out sometime."

"I'm still trying to learn Thunderball," Yang pointed out while Blake turned towards Sun.

"Don't you have a lot of work to do?" she asked, trying to be gentle yet firm.

"Yeah, probably." He added several happy nods with that response yet didn't move an inch. Just when Blake decided she needed to be more stern, however, Yang leaned forward and spoke up.

"Looks like we should stop _monkeying _around."

While Blake smiled and shook her head at Yang's pun, Sun burst into laughter and, surprisingly, hopped right to his feet.

"Which means I should get outta here," he replied before flashing a big smile and hurrying over to his desk. "Catching a few games tonight so I can get some quotes. See you guys later!" After grabbing his bag and shoving some items inside, he waved and left the office at a near jog.

Yang chuckled at the hasty departure, and Blake smiled at the enchanting sound she had missed since they spoke last.

"Thank you for that," Yang said moments after the door closed, leaving them alone in the office. "I was just starting to think I'd be stuck listening to him all night."

"You're welcome. I believe I owed you one."

"Oh, that's what that was?" Yang asked before laughing again. "Well, I still appreciate it."

Blake didn't feel she deserved that much gratitude, but she nodded rather than protest. Then she considered returning to her office but...the prospect of returning to work so soon didn't have nearly the allure that talking to Yang did.

"You're still playing Thunderball?" she asked instead. The first instance of Yang playing seemed like a fluke - the two of them just happening across a group of guys who invited her to join. The second time seemed more unbelievable - that she liked the experience enough to give it another try. So the idea that she was still playing, confirmed by her nod, perplexed Blake even more.

"Ruby loves it," Yang explained. "Although...the guys aren't taking it so easy on us anymore. And Ben _literally _keeps jumping over my head. Every chance he gets, he's clearing me. It's just...crazy."

Blake smiled at Yang's dumbfounded disbelief but didn't find as much humor in the mental image.

"Pretty sure that's his way of flirting with you."

"Like when boys push you on the playground?" Yang asked, waiting for Blake's nod before chuckling. "Jumping clean over someone's head is a _little _more impressive than pulling someone's ponytail."

Blake's smile faltered at the response, mostly because Yang hadn't said she wasn't interested in the attention. And Ben was attractive for a leopard, so Blake understood why. Besides, her mom just gave her a laundry list of reasons why leopards were 'great catches.'

"And I guess you've spent more than three minutes with him," she added, although she didn't know why she continued the conversation when she didn't like its direction. But Yang said Vincent didn't have a chance because she didn't know him…

"I think he'd be a good friend." Meeting Blake's eyes, Yang smiled. "Not interested in him more than that." The response was a relief for Blake, but Yang paused and tapped her chin before adding, "Although, I _am_ interested in him being on my team so he'll jump over someone else for once."

This time, Blake's laugh and accompanying smile felt much easier.

"I'm sure if you asked, he'd be happy to join your team," she replied, to which Yang shrugged and smiled.

Part of Blake almost _wanted _to see Yang date a Faunus, out of pure curiosity about what that would be like. What was Yang like in a relationship? Was she the same? More distracted? Did she talk about her significant other often? Blake didn't know if she wanted to hear or see that...

Personally, she'd never considered dating a human, based partly on circumstance and partly on values. She'd never met a human worth dating. And why would she when there were plenty of eligible Faunus out there?

"How're you doing though?" Yang asked. "Need a break?"

Sighing as work finally caught up to her, she sat down on the edge of Yang's desk and shook her head.

"I wish, but I don't think I have the time. Sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for." And, from the look in Yang's eyes, she meant it. "Anything I can help with?"

"I don't think -" Mid-sentence, Blake paused when her stomach grumbled. Hearing the noise, Yang grinned.

"Are you hungry?"

"So you can't hear the door, but you heard that?" Blake teased, although her cheeks heated up when Yang laughed and nodded.

"I'm super attuned to the signs of hunger - my sister is hungry all the time, and I'm in charge of feeding her. But what about you?" Setting her hands on the desk, Yang leaned a little closer. "That sounded an awful lot like hunger...are you hungry?"

The more Yang repeated the word, the hungrier Blake became. If that was intentional payback for the mini heart attack she gave Yang this morning, it certainly worked.

"Maybe a bit," she fudged, hoping Yang didn't hear another quiet grumble slip out. "I don't remember if I ate today…"

"Not that I saw," Yang answered before grabbing her wallet and keys, standing up, and backing towards the door. "I'm going to get you dinner."

"You don't have to do that..."

"I know." Yang smiled and gently tapped her knuckles against the doorframe. "But I want to. Do you know what you want?"

Even though Blake wanted to protest, she knew Yang would insist. Plus, she _was _pretty hungry. Just the thought of dinner was enough to make her salivate.

"There's a restaurant three blocks over that has really good tuna..."

"Say no more. You got it." With a grin and a wink, Yang opened the door and caught Blake's gaze one more time before slipping outside.

After smiling at the closed door for several moments, Blake finally returned to her office. It was hard to remember the time when she hadn't wanted Yang here at all. Now, Yang's presence was as much a part of the day as Sun's jokes or Victor's four-syllable words. But, unlike Sun's jokes or Victor's four-syllable words, Blake was drawn to Yang in a strange, indescribable way.

Tabling that thought for now, she returned her focus to the fledgling outline spread across her desk. Marking out prospective column spaces was relatively easy, but she needed to fit advertisements around the articles in a way that made sense. Rico's construction business wasn't best suited near Lola's entertainment piece, for example, but would do better near Brand's crime or Sun's athletics section. A never-ending jigsaw puzzle, that's what it was. And with a smaller paper, space suddenly came at a premium. She made it through the first two pages before she smelled tuna through the door. And...salmon too.

As soon as Yang walked into the office, Blake's stomach grumbled. Deciding now was an excellent time for another break, she set her pen down and waited for Yang to join her.

"Alright," Yang said, opening the bag on top of Blake's desk and pulling out several containers of food. "Here's your tuna...and I got the salmon if you want some."

"Maybe...but only if you don't finish it."

Laughing at the response, Yang pulled out a third box and pushed it towards Blake.

"And I got extra in case that was your answer."

The thoughtful gesture surprised Blake but, again, pleasantly so. Would she ever get accustomed to how considerate Yang was to her?

"Alright." Grabbing one of the boxes for herself, Yang looked at the arrangement on the desk before nodding. "Got everything you need?"

"I think so...thank you."

"You're welcome." With another nod, Yang turned to leave, but Blake stopped her with a quick, "Yang."

"Yeah?"

"If you want...you can eat in here." When Blake gestured to the empty chair across from her, Yang grinned and set her food on the desk.

"Be right back then."

While Yang went to retrieve her notepad, Blake took her first bite to eat and hummed with pleasure. If not for Yang walking back into the office and sitting down, she might have eaten the entire piece of fish at an extremely unattractive pace. With company, however, she forced herself to take smaller bites.

"What're you working on?" Yang asked while making herself comfortable. After opening the container of food on one side of the desk, she set her pen and notepad right beside it. Blake pulled some of her spread-out papers closer, but it didn't seem like Yang needed or wanted more space.

"Now that people have stopped calling, I'm trying to piece together what the next edition will look like. Which is a little hard when only half the articles are decided right now."

"Sorry..."

"It's not your fault," Blake quickly assured Yang. "At least I know what you're working on and what it will be about. Some people haven't even made it that far."

"Should I guess who 'some people' are?" Yang asked with a light laugh, which made Blake smile and roll her eyes.

"Pretty sure you already know." She looked at Yang's notepad then, which was covered in words. "How are you doing?"

"I'm trying this freehand writing thing Velvet suggested - write whatever I want, then go through and pick out the best points."

"That's a good idea."

"Yeah, she's one smart bunny." Smiling with the statement, which Blake knew to be more than true, Yang picked up her pen and motioned that she was going to get back to it.

While Yang did that - her eyes trained to the page while writing quickly - Blake returned to her potential layout. As she pieced together several possible formats, Yang's presence offered a sense of comfort rather than distraction.

The soft scratching of a pen on paper broke up the silence and reminded Blake that she wasn't alone for yet another late night. Besides the quiet sounds, she could vaguely smell Yang's shampoo from here - an invigorating scent that made her want to move closer. With the desk between them, however, she focused on the papers in front of her and took deep breaths instead.

A solid half-hour passed without either of them saying a word, which she paused to marvel at after another completed page joined the steadily growing pile. Unlike Sun, who hardly stopped talking let alone moving, Yang didn't fidget much. And, while she drew Blake's gaze every so often, that was due to her being _so_ quiet and easy to work with.

After not much longer, _Blake_ was the one who wanted to start a conversation, which was...unexpected and unprecedented. And, the more she thought about how easy it was to work with Yang, the more details she noticed about Yang's current 'work mode.'

Her eyes narrowed in concentration while she wrote in the notebook propped up on her knees. Whenever she paused, her finger tapped out a soft melody that stuck in Blake's head. Whatever she was thinking about had so much of her attention, she probably didn't notice the way she lightly bit her lower lip and furrowed her brow.

"You can talk sometimes, you know," Blake finally said when she couldn't hold the conversation at bay any longer. When Yang looked at her, she nodded to show she was serious.

"I didn't want to bother you…"

"You're not." When Yang still looked relatively uncertain, Blake shook her head. "Really, you're not."

The grin that slowly appeared on Yang's lips filled Blake with warmth that validated her decision to start a conversation. Would it be too much of a leap to think that Yang wanted to talk to her too?

"Ok," Yang said, hardly able to contain that growing smile. "Then, uh, think you could help me with something?"

"Sure." Turning away from the trial layouts, Blake gave Yang her full attention. "What is it?"

"Do you know another word for 'foster?' Because I think I've used it like five times already."

"Another word for 'foster…'" Blake repeated before pausing to think. "Harbor, house, shelter, care for." Reaching an end of the easy synonyms, she thought for another few seconds before adding "Accommodate, lodge, or raise, even. It depends on the context."

She thought nothing of the response until she noticed Yang staring at her.

"What?"

"Nothing." Yang shook her head but smiled. "I just didn't realize you were a walking thesaurus."

"I didn't realize you knew what a thesaurus was," Blake teased, though a smile broke through her attempted seriousness when Yang laughed.

"Intelligence dings?" she asked, looking not at all offended by the remark. "Is that where our relationship is now?"

"If that's ok with you." When Blake tried to play it coy with a shrug, Yang laughed.

"Love it."

The simple response filled Blake with even more happiness, and she smiled as Yang's laughter trailed off.

"Well, thanks for contributing the only smart-sounding words in this entire thing."

"I'm sure that's not true," Blake replied with a shake of her head. "Has Victor taught you nothing?"

"Oh he's taught me plenty. But is an article about foster kids the best time to use 'cacophony?'"

"There's _rarely _a good time to use 'cacophony.' That's what I can't get him to understand."

"Pretty sure he _understands_. He just doesn't want to accept it."

"You're probably right." Blake gave an exaggerated sigh at her 'misfortune' of working with a word wizard but, as Yang laughed, she caught sight of the clock and realized how late it was. "You should go home," she added. "It's late."

She expected Yang to agree but instead, she shrugged.

"I don't mind hanging out, if you want company. Besides, if I go home, I'm just going to keep working on this." Yang held up the notepad before setting it down with a smile. "And if I'm home, Ruby will distract me. You're much less of a distraction."

It sounded like Yang was giving Blake the option to choose. She could insist that Yang go home and get some adequate rest, or she could acquiesce and let Yang stay. It felt like Yang wanted to stay - or at least, didn't mind staying - and Blake didn't mind if she stayed either. In which case...

"If you're sure," she replied, watching Yang's eyes for a clear answer. Receiving that and a nod, she smiled. "Ok, then feel free to stay."

She could tell that the answer made Yang happy, and that made her happy. Before diving back into her layouts, however, she glanced over one last time.

"You realize this is probably how the entire week will go, right?"

"I know." Yang nodded before smiling again. "And I plan on keeping you company, if you'll let me."

Surprisingly, the thought didn't bother Blake as much as it once might have. Instead, she felt something along the lines of relief as she nodded and returned to her work. She snuck another glance at Yang first, however, and smiled when Yang resumed writing.

For some reason, Yang's company made the relentless work easier to bear. Even if the next few days were lost in a blur of stress, as they would absolutely be, she would look forward to more moments like these. Right now, spending time with Yang was just about the only thing she looked forward to. Spending time with Yang, and making it to the end of the week.


	15. Chapter 15

Blake was right - the week disappeared in a blur. She practically lived at the office for Wednesday and Thursday, only dragging herself home after deciding that her desk chair wasn't comfortable enough to sleep in. But, even at home, she couldn't relax. Instead, she worried, fretted, and second-guessed herself over and over again.

As it turned out, overhauling a paper in a week was _not_ easy to do. There were issues with formatting, ad spacing, line spacing, content sorting, and those problems only came from the general layout. Then there were questions upon questions about what exactly a more Faunus-oriented article looked like. _How_ Faunus-focused should it be? What feeling were they going for? Throw in the questions from nearly every advertiser they had, and basically everything broke in a matter of days.

Thank god for her coworkers. Everyone stayed late to solve problems and put out fires. No one uttered a single complaint when they had to rewrite their work or remove an entire paragraph to meet a size requirement she revised for the third time (she thought Victor would give her hell for that one). And, as unexpected as it might once have been, thank god for Yang, who took it upon herself to look after Blake during the most stressful of times. Without the steady supply of tuna sandwiches and dinners miraculously appearing on her desk, she might not have eaten at all over the past few days.

Her gratitude didn't stop at the food, or the tea, or the snacks Yang somehow spirited onto her desk. Yang also stayed far past when everyone else left for the night. She sat in the chair opposite Blake's desk for hours working on her article. She also helped Blake reorganize their advertisements, which was like putting together a giant puzzle that wasn't meant to fit together.

Between Yang and the rest of the office, this revamp was a true team effort. And, by Friday afternoon, the end was near.

Blake knew everyone must be as relieved about the approaching weekend as she was, yet there were no grumbles in the office. Instead, everyone got their finished pieces to her in near-record time, which gave her plenty of time to go through everything with a much finer-toothed comb than she normally used. At the moment, she was reading one of Velvet's finished pieces while Velvet waited patiently for final approval. She had to know she'd get Blake's approval anyway, yet still she waited as if Blake might one day tell her to rework something.

Velvet was one of the few people as skilled with a camera as a pen. Her thoughts and emotions flowed through every piece she'd ever written, but the article in Blake's hands was...different. Better. It was the most intimate version of Velvet that she'd ever read, and she loved it more with every readthrough.

When she reached the bottom, she wanted to move right back to the top and start again. Since Velvet was waiting, however, she lowered the paper and looked up.

"Velvet…" she said, meeting her friend's eyes before gesturing to the page. "This is...incredible."

"You think so?"

"_Yes_. Absolutely. It's heartfelt, sincere, and...it's perfect for the front page of this new version of The Voice."

Velvet hadn't wanted the front page - she protested against it, even. At least, protested as much as she ever would. But the rest of the office agreed that she should write the introduction. While soft-spoken and reserved, she wrote with as much heart as the rest of them. They knew what she could do with an assignment like this, and she didn't disappoint.

It was uplifting and inspirational.

It was exactly what they hoped The Vale Voice to be.

"I'm glad you think so." Velvet clasped her hands and gave a modest smile, but didn't argue. "It was wonderful to write."

"Wonderful to read, too," Blake replied. "This is great, Velvet. Thank you."

"Thank _you_." After pausing for a second, Velvet smiled again. "You know, even if this change doesn't stick, and we go back to the way things were, I'm glad we gave it a try."

That wasn't the first time someone expressed a similar sentiment, but it was the first time Blake fully agreed. Even after all the hard work, even after all those stressful phone calls, she was glad they did it. She was glad they tried. Now, even if The Voice failed, she knew she did everything she possibly could to save it.

"You know...I am too," she admitted, and Velvet's smile brightened as she stood to leave.

"Never know where your next great idea will come from, do you?" After sending a pointed look Yang's way, Velvet nodded towards the article Blake just read, making the connection intentional and clear. "Sometimes, it's surprising what you find when you look past 'human.'"

Glancing at Yang, whose gaze was glued to her computer screen while she read something, Blake smiled and felt her heart swell with gratitude and happiness.

"It is," she agreed, willing to acknowledge the pivotal role Yang held in this new direction. With that response and a satisfied nod, Velvet left Blake's office with a hop in her step.

Blake, meanwhile, looked at the article in front of her before swiveling towards her computer. The new layout had remained open on her screen all day, so it only took a few minutes to add the electronic version of Velvet's article to the front page of this week's edition. After one last readthrough for errors, she nodded and mentally checked Velvet off the list.

If anything made her feel better about this change, it was that her coworkers were turning in some of the best work she'd seen in years. Poignant, thought-provoking, and spirit-lifting...each piece easily made it into her top five favorites from the respective author. From Velvet's introduction to Brand's criminal case, they did more than agree to this new way of life - they embraced it.

With only Yang and Sun's pieces left for final approval, Blake glanced at Yang, who was still working away. She'd yet to even glimpse what Yang put together, but she had watched everyone else help throughout the week. Even now, Velvet leaned over Yang's shoulder and pointed to something on the screen. As Velvet explained whatever she spotted, Yang nodded and made a change.

While not knowing what Yang's article looked like made Blake nervous, Velvet had privately assured her it was coming along nicely. Velvet's reassurance was the only thing that allowed Blake to wait this long, as she knew it wouldn't be an epic mess. Besides, she had a backup plan - one of Victor's three additional articles - but she didn't anticipate having to use it. Between Yang's subject, the interview she witnessed, and the rest of the office's help, it should be a wonderful piece.

It might be a silly thing, but she wanted Yang to surprise her - like she'd done so many times already. Maybe placing that much faith in Yang was ill-advised, but Blake did regardless.

Even though the week had been stressful and chaotic for everyone, the office banded together to help Yang while also accomplishing their work. For that, Blake was grateful to them, and she loved seeing how much they'd accepted Yang into their midst. Most days, she forgot all about Weiss and the challenge to impress her through Yang. That was because, most days, it didn't feel like Yang was one of Weiss' employees. It felt like Yang belonged here, with them.

A soft chime announced a new email, and she hardly had time to identify Sun as the sender before he burst into her office.

"Done!" he proclaimed while sliding hard copies across to her. "I think I deserve a reward for finishing early. Whaddya think?"

"Sure. You can go home early," she replied before turning her attention to the copies. While she did that, he plopped into the chair, leaned back, and put both hands behind his head.

"I'll take it. Could use a nap…"

"Pretty sure we all feel that way by now…" she murmured before ignoring him in favor of reading the articles one-by-one. Having already seen his outlines, she had a good idea of what to expect. With each sentence she read, however, she realized she was wrong - he'd blown her expectations out of the water.

What she thought would be a routine exploration of Runner Gunner was so much more than that. The game itself featured heavily, of course, but it was the characters he introduced that stole the show. The quotes were memorable, and the descriptions were some of the best she'd seen from him. His second submission, focused on a game called Thirty-Four, was equally enjoyable. By the time Blake reached the end, she found herself interested in learning more about the game with more math problems than physical activity.

Upon finishing her first readthrough, she paused and looked at him.

"Sun...these are really good."

"Yeah?" His smile was nearly blinding as she nodded and motioned for him to give her another few minutes to check for errors.

Equally as surprising, he made almost no errors to speak of. She couldn't even remember the last time he handed in something so clean and polished, but...that possibly explained the handful of times she noticed Velvet working with him at his desk. She assumed Velvet was helping him keep his writing on track, which was potentially true, but now she had a sneaky hunch that Velvet pre-proofread as well.

Now that Blake thought about it...every article she read today had been remarkably free of errors. While Velvet might not have proofread each one, the rest of the office had taken considerable effort to make Blake's job easier.

During the second readthrough, she only circled one item in each piece before setting her pen down.

"You like 'em?" Sun asked as soon as she looked up.

"I do. They're wonderful. Not too serious, yet still informative. It's almost like...I learned the rules without meaning to."

As soon as she finished speaking, Sun bounced out of his chair and pumped one fist in victory. "Nailed it! I knew you'd like 'em!"

"I only found two things," she added, pointing to the red marks. "But I'll fix those before putting them in. Congratulations, you're done for the week."

With a joyful "woot!" of success, Sun raced out of her office and convinced a confused Lola to give him a high five. While he celebrated, Blake opened the files he'd emailed to her and made the two alterations. Once done, she placed the pieces in their designated spaces and checked them one last time.

Flipping through the pages made her nervous but excited at the same time. Everything was coming together just like she'd planned. With Sun's articles finished, only one blank space remained to be filled. Yang's article would complete the new edition, and Blake couldn't think of a better way to cap off this week.

Now that everything else was done, she wanted to check in with Yang and possibly help wrap up whatever was written so far. When she looked into the office, however, she was surprised to find everyone else still hanging around. They were probably waiting in case Yang needed last-minute help, but Blake was more than willing to take over from here.

"Hey guys," she said, gaining their attention as she walked out of her office. "If you want to go now, feel free. I'll help wrap up." She glanced in Yang's direction so they understood her intent to help Yang complete the week, and many of them seemed relieved by that knowledge. Yet...no one jumped at the opportunity to go home and enjoy their evening. Actually, no one moved at all.

"Uh, Blake?" Sun asked after glancing between Lola and Brand. "Do you think we could come in tomorrow and get the numbers together?"

Of all the possible questions she thought Sun might ask, that one was nowhere in existence.

"You...what?" Her surprise only grew when she looked around the group and found everyone nodding. "All of you?"

"Yeah!" Sun replied, obviously the spokesperson of this initiative. "We all told everyone we know to read it tomorrow so...we're hoping it moves the needle, you know? Plus, it'll be fun, right? We can hang out for a bit on the weekend!"

'Fun' might not be the word she would use, but she only needed to glance around the room to determine that this was what everyone wanted. And after their hard work this week, they deserved to know the impact, or lack of one, as soon as she did.

"Sure," she agreed with a small smile. "They're normally out around eleven, so we can meet here then?"

Her response was met with nods and smiles as everyone finally prepared to leave. Their excited chatter didn't escape her notice, and added to her general nerves about tomorrow. What if this change meant nothing? What if it did nothing? Could she spin another week of subpar numbers into a positive, or at least neutral, occurrence on the fly?

Worrying about disappointing them would have to wait, however. First, this week's edition needed to be finished, which meant she walked over to Yang while everyone else headed out. Now that most of the pressure was off, she felt better than she had all week. She did, however, still feel guilty that she hadn't helped Yang as much as she'd hoped to.

"Hey." Leaning against the side of Yang's desk, she felt a smile flit across her lips before the guilt returned. "Sorry it took me so long..."

"It's ok, really." Reaching out, Yang lightly tapped Blake's knee and smiled. "I know how busy you've been. Plus, everyone gave me great pointers. Even Sun helped, but he's...a little scatterbrained."

Feeling that Yang wasn't the least bit upset, Blake relaxed and felt another smile appear - a stronger one this time.

"I'm still sorry," she repeated to make sure Yang understood as much. "I wanted to help more than I did."

"And you know what?" Yang replied with a warm smile. "It's the thought that counts."

That simple statement only increased Blake's appreciation for Yang and her easygoing nature. Maybe that was part of the reason Blake felt so comfortable leaving Yang on her own all week despite her lack of experience. She'd relied on her resources - the rest of the office - and worked as hard, if not harder, than everyone else.

"Well, now that we're almost done, I'm all yours." When Yang quirked a brow at the words, Blake quickly added, "And I've been looking forward to reading what you've put together. Is that it?"

When she motioned towards the single sheet of paper resting face down on the keyboard, nerves replaced Yang's curiosity.

"You've been looking forward to it?"

"Yes." Sensing this conversation could go on for a while, Blake hopped up onto Yang's desk and swung her feet back and forth. "You have one of the most interesting topics, so I keep wondering what you did with it."

"Jesus….you know how to turn up the pressure, don't you?"

Laughing at the response, Blake gestured for Yang to hand over the page. "No pressure. But it's been a while since I've been this excited to read someone else's work. So let's see it."

"Oh god…" Yang groaned. She grabbed the piece of paper and held it out, only to pull it away when Blake reached for it. "Just...please don't judge me too much."

Yang's reticence only added humor to the situation, and Blake smiled while motioning for Yang to relinquish the paper.

"Don't be silly," she said before snatching the page from Yang's fingertips as soon as Yang acquiesced. "I'm sure it's great," she added as additional reassurance before reading.

Two paragraphs in, she knew she was right.

Midway through, she was smiling.

By the time she reached the end, she wanted to hug Yang.

She didn't though. Instead, she grabbed a pen from Yang's desk and started at the beginning - this time looking for anything that needed to be changed. Minor things here and there. Some syntax, some punctuation, a couple suggestions for reordering sentences to make it flow better. Overall...impressive for someone's first article.

As soon as she finished, she dropped the pen on the desk and looked at Yang, who met her gaze with a slight cringe.

"I told you I'm not a writer," she said before Blake spoke.

"Are you a liar then?" When Yang looked miffed by the question, Blake pointed to the paper. "Because this is _really _good. It has heart. It has character. And it makes me want to go out and adopt a bunch of Faunus kids, as rash of a decision as that would be."

"Does it really?" Yang asked, looking as if she didn't believe a fraction of what Blake said.

"_Yes_." Blake returned the paper to Yang with a smile. "It just needs a little cleaning up, and that's what I'm here for."

After glancing over the edits, Yang met Blake's eyes and didn't turn away as a smile grew.

"Then...I'm lucky you're here to help me."

That was all it took to absolve Blake for the rest of the week, which she spent _wanting_ to help Yang only to be buried in other work. When she smiled, Yang smiled right back at her, and the two of them sat there for several long moments before Yang finally broke eye contact and cleared her throat.

"I guess we should hurry though. I don't want to take up your whole night."

"Don't worry." More than happy to help Yang, if needed, Blake waved off the concern. "I doubt I'll sleep tonight anyway. If anything, you're helping me not freak out by distracting me."

"Then should I make a few more mistakes?" Yang asked while playfully reaching for the pen.

"Let's not go overboard," Blake said with a laugh, gently resting her hand on top of Yang's to keep the pen safely out of reach. "It's nearly finished. You just need to put in these edits, if you agree with them."

"What do you mean, _if _I agree with them?"

"They're only my suggestions," Blake explained. "This is your article though."

"But you're the expert," Yang asked, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Why wouldn't I take your advice?"

"Beats me." Blake shrugged and grinned. "But it's up to you."

"Ok, Miss Modest. Hold on while I fix _all_ the things." After setting the article beside the keyboard, Yang looked around and patted her desk in search of something. Curious about what that might be, Blake gave the desk a quick scan and spotted a pair of glasses near Yang's leg.

"Looking for these?" she asked while offering them to Yang, who accepted them with a sheepish smile.

"Thanks. When I stare at the screen too long, my eyes get tired."

"It happens to the best of us."

After sliding on her glasses, which somehow made her eyes even prettier, Yang laughed and started editing. "Yeah right…" she muttered while removing several words. "You can probably see in the dark…"

"Only partially."

Abruptly pausing, Yang turned towards Blake with wide eyes.

"You can see in the dark?"

"Only partially," Blake repeated before nodding to the screen. "Work, Yang."

Jaw dropped, Yang obediently went back to editing.

"Just when I thought you couldn't get any cooler…" she muttered under her breath, and Blake shook her head while chuckling softly.

Watching Yang navigate the article gave Blake even more reason to smile. Not three weeks ago, Yang had no journalism experience to speak of. Now here she was, wrapping up her first article. Maybe she'd needed some help, but everyone needed help from time-to-time. Ultimately, she created something in her voice about a topic that was important to her.

"You did really well." The words slipped through Blake's lips before she thought them through, and immediately drew Yang's gaze from the screen. "I just wanted you to know," she muttered, looking away from Yang's expression of surprise and joy.

She didn't mind offering compliments when they were deserved but, for some reason, her heart fluttered from the look Yang just gave her.

"Thank you," Yang replied, sounding so grateful that Blake felt another flutter in her chest. Fortunately, Yang quickly returned to editing, allowing Blake to get her heart under control.

She didn't want to say Yang flustered her, but...sometimes Yang flustered her. In a good way. In an exciting way. But it was also new and sometimes overwhelming, which was why she tried not to dwell on it too much.

"Done," Yang called out then, drawing Blake's attention to her completed work.

"Print another copy?" Blake requested before heading to the printer. Grabbing Yang's article as soon as it appeared, she started proofreading on her walk back to Yang's desk. This time, she looked for smaller errors - punctuation, capitalization, grammar mistakes she might have missed the first time.

But everything looked good. It looked great, actually.

"Email that to me?" she asked, and Yang quickly complied by setting up an email and sending it her way. "Now follow me," she added while waving Yang after her.

Back in her office, she sat in her chair and motioned Yang to the other side of the desk so they could both see the screen. With Yang standing right beside her, she took a deep breath of sunflower citrus shampoo and opened the email she just received. After saving the article to a folder full of them, she opened up this week's layout and dragged Yang's article into the last open space.

"Now just one more check…" she muttered while looking through every page one last time. Did anything look out of place? Was anything misaligned? Any errors or formatting faux pas?

The answer was 'no.' And, with that, the newest edition of The Vale Voice was complete.

"There you have it." Scrolling back to the page with Yang's article, Blake smiled while Yang leaned closer to see it. "Congratulations. You're a published author. Or will be around midnight tonight."

"That's...so freaking cool."

Chuckling at the response, Blake leaned forward to quadruple check for mistakes at the same moment Yang turned towards her with a radiant smile. For just that split second, they were only centimeters apart.

From this distance, she could see the flecks of gold in Yang's eyes, which her glasses highlighted in the most endearing way. She could see the light freckles dusted across Yang's nose, and the way Yang's lashes curled so perfectly.

When she realized Yang was studying her just as closely as she was studying Yang, however, she blushed and moved away.

"Thank you," she whispered, meeting Yang's gaze even though it deepened her blush. "For your contribution."

"Thank you," Yang replied with a slow smile that played with Blake's heart. "For letting me help. It's been an amazing experience, and I loved seeing what it's like to do what you guys do every week."

"I hope you learned some things?"

"So many." For a second, it looked like Yang might leave it at that. But then she met Blake's gaze with a sincere one Blake couldn't help leaning towards. "And watching you work - how dedicated you are, and how much you love this place...I just...I have so much respect for you."

That single word sent a flurry of emotions through Blake's mind, many of which she couldn't even name. All she knew was that hearing Yang say that, and say it so openly and honestly, made her feel...validated, and lighter than air.

How could she even respond to something like that, which she was pretty sure she'd never been told before in her life?

Rather than attempt a response, she looked at the clock. The time didn't register in her mind for several seconds as she attempted to clear the happy fog from what Yang just said. When she finally processed the numbers though, she confirmed it was late. That explained her exhaustion, but there was no way she could sleep anytime soon.

"It's late," she said, looking over only when Yang moved away and leaned against the desk. "You should probably head home."

"But are we walking it over to the printer?" When Yang waved towards the computer, Blake shook her head and drafted an email to Raphael instead.

"Don't think I have the energy for that today," she admitted. It was the truth, but she also didn't think she had the energy to run interference between Vincent and Yang again. Plus, with how tired she was, she might snap, and that was the last thing she wanted to do.

Once the email was sent, she leaned back in her chair and sighed. Now she could do nothing more. She couldn't change anything even if she wanted to. The only thing she could do was wait.

"Do you have plans tonight?" she asked, noticing Yang still hadn't moved from her spot on the desk. "It's Friday night."

Yang seemed like the type who always had plans on Friday night, but she shook her head and said, "No, not tonight." Blake didn't know why that answer felt every bit as relieving as it was surprising, but she didn't care why at the moment. Right now, all she cared about was their work being finished, and neither of them having anywhere else to be.

"Want to take a walk?" Immediately after the question, she felt a split second of regret for asking - because what if Yang didn't want to spend more time with her? That worry disappeared when Yang smiled.

"I'd love to." After straightening up from the desk, Yang offered Blake a hand to pull her to her feet. "But how about I walk you home so you can get some rest?"

"Only if you'll go home too."

"Deal."

With their agreement struck, Yang flounced out of the office to gather her things while Blake did the same. Honestly, she couldn't have asked for a better end to the week than decompressing with Yang. A walk and some good conversation would work wonders in keeping her from freaking out about the big change The Vale Voice just underwent.

"You ready?" Yang asked as Blake walked out of her office. She glanced at her bag before nodding, and felt her heart hum with happiness when Yang beamed back at her. For the life of her, she didn't understand why Yang smiled at her so much, but she didn't mind one bit. It made her feel special...that she captured so much of Yang's attention, somehow.

"Are you ok with people coming back tomorrow morning?" Yang asked as they headed out of the building, her steps slow enough that Blake tempered her normal rush to match. She also didn't understand how Yang read her so well, but she was starting to get used to it.

"I'll have to be," she admitted. When Yang held the door, she nodded her gratitude before walking outside and pausing to wait. Once Yang caught up to her, she set off on the path so familiar she hardly had to think about it.

"They deserve to know," she added as Yang fell into step beside her.

"But you know they'd wait, right? If you wanted them to."

Blake glanced at Yang out of the corner of her eye but didn't respond. Would her coworkers wait if she asked them to? That hadn't felt like an option at the time, but…

"They all look up to you," Yang added. "They trust you to keep things going, and they'll do whatever it takes to help you, even if that means they have to wait a little longer to know."

When Yang caught Blake's gaze, Blake couldn't escape the truth emanating from lilac eyes. Thinking about her coworkers, and what she would do for them, made a lump of emotion appear in her throat. Rather than let herself tear up right there in the middle of the sidewalk, she cleared her throat and changed the subject.

"Have you been over here often?" she asked, noticing how Yang's eyes swiveled from side-to-side while they walked.

"A couple of times. More frequently to meet up with the guys."

Understanding Yang meant the Faunus who played Thunderball in the park, Blake nodded and attempted to see her neighborhood through a stranger's eyes. It wasn't rundown, per se, but it had seen better days. It wasn't _entirely_ Faunus either. They passed one or two humans on their walk, but she always wondered whether humans lived in this area by choice or due to circumstance. Why would they live here if they had other options?

"This bakery makes some of the best cookies on the planet, by the way." When Blake gestured towards a darkened store window with several cakes on display, Yang looked over with interest. "Pretty cheap, too."

"Really? I'll have to come back with Ruby. She loves cookies."

"Let me know what you think," Blake replied while they crossed the street and walked along the edge of the park. They'd deviated from her usual path home by this point, but she didn't want to make it to her apartment so soon. Yang was distracting her, and she needed the distraction.

"What're they doing over there?" When Yang nodded further into the park, Blake peered in that direction and found several pairs of dark figures hunched over small square tables.

"Night chess."

"Is that different from regular chess?"

"No, they just...play at night."

Before Yang even laughed, Blake smiled. Because she knew it was coming, and it was impossible not to smile when Yang laughed.

"I'd suck at that," she added once her laughter faded and they left the park behind. "So…" she added after not too long. "What do you do when you're not at work? Any hobbies?"

Passing a restaurant with outdoor seating, Blake noticed the curious glances several of the diners gave her. Most likely, they wondered why she was walking around with a human this late at night. She couldn't exactly explain to them what an exception Yang was, but it bothered her. It bothered her that they probably thought less of her just because she and Yang were walking together.

"Or...you don't have any?" Yang added, prodding Blake out of her head to answer the question.

"Sorry. I, well...I used to read a lot, but I don't do that much anymore. Mostly, I go home and work. Or try to write." That last part she'd been unsuccessful at accomplishing for quite some time, but she didn't want to bring that up at the moment.

"Sounds...fun?"

"It's been a difficult year," she replied with a sigh. "It's been hard to have a well-balanced life."

"I get that." Surprisingly, Blake believed that Yang _did_ understand. Even though she hadn't gone through it - even though it wasn't her life. "I hope you can get your life back, though. We all need to have other things, you know?"

That sounded like something Blake's mom would say, but she didn't mention that she'd heard the same refrain for the past few months with little-to-no effect. Work always came first. But, if she _could_ have a life outside of work…

"What about you? What does _Yang Xiao Long_ do in her free time?"

After chuckling at the emphasis on her name, Yang shook her head.

"Not much. I love to watch a good soap opera or two. Or I'll hang out with friends - go shopping, to the movies, find new places to eat - that type of stuff. Plus, I spend a lot of time with Ruby. And Weiss."

"You spend a lot of time with Weiss?"

"Oh yeah. Feels like I'm spending all of my time with Weiss." Yang chuckled at the admission, but Blake's brow furrowed.

"Oh!" she suddenly added, preventing Blake from overthinking that comment. "Did I tell you we're setting up a soccer league too? Like the baseball one."

"Are you really?"

"Yup! Hopefully, we can start in a month or two. Then we'll have another to run when baseball's not in season. _And_ I mentioned to Weiss that we should do a Faunus sport, and she's on board. Just said I need to do some research and figure out which sport, but I asked Sun to help with that."

There was so much to unpack in that response, Blake didn't know where to start. First, another human-Faunus sports league for children, which Yang seemed thrilled about. Second, that Yang actually took Blake's suggestion to Weiss, and Weiss agreed to it. And third, the realization that Yang was still in communication with Weiss meant...well, it could mean a lot of things.

"Do you even play soccer?" she asked rather than get into those other things. She looked over in confusion when Yang laughed.

"No. Not at all."

"Then...how do you coach it?"

"It's not really _coaching_ as much as keeping a dozen kids from accidentally hurting each other. With a small amount of coaching, but I'll learn that from the internet."

"Don't you have to demonstrate?"

"Well, yeah...but the kids think I'm an all-star because I can take ten steps in a row without tripping over my feet." Yang gently nudged Blake with her elbow and grinned. "That's where Ruby runs into problems."

"She's a klutz?"

"Completely. I swear, she inherited the brain of someone with two left feet."

Chuckling at the thought of a younger version of Yang tripping every other step, Blake casually turned the next corner to lead them around an extra block. She didn't know how much longer she could lead them in circles before Yang noticed, but another block should slip under the radar.

When she sighed at the thought of being home alone, Yang glanced over before leaning close to nudge her shoulder. The small bump was enough to knock her a little to the side, and she smiled while reciprocating with Yang.

And she felt better. How did something so simple make her feel better so quickly?

"So uh, while you were busy being an editing wizard, I got to read everyone's articles."

"And?" Blake asked, glancing at Yang to read her response.

"And they're freaking amazing," Yang replied in a sigh. "Really, really incredible. I learned so much from each one, not just about Faunus but about the author too."

"So you enjoyed them?"

"More than enjoyed," Yang said before meeting Blake's gaze. "If you decide to keep this up, I'll definitely be reading every week."

"At least we'll have one reader..."

When Blake's nerves returned, she stared at the sidewalk and tried to push back the doubt.

"I won't be the only one," Yang replied, adding her support in fighting that feeling away. "What you guys created should interest all Faunus. Humans too, but we both know they can be...difficult."

That response was a bit of an understatement, but Blake didn't feel the need to get into that conversation. On any other day, with anyone else, she might. With Yang, however...she let it be.

Besides, her apartment building was just up ahead, and now she regretted living close to work. Spending time with Yang was so easy, she felt like they could walk the entire city together and never run out of things to talk about. That would certainly be a good distraction from...everything else.

"I hope you'll write again soon, too."

Surprised by the comment, Blake looked over and found Yang was serious.

"Why?"

When Blake stopped walking, Yang did too, and looked at Blake for a long time with a smile pulling at her lips.

"Because I'd like to know what you have to say. And I'd like to know you better."

Blake couldn't decide how to respond to that honest statement, so she gave nothing other than a nod before walking the last few steps to the entrance of her building. Still, she thought about what Yang's reply meant.

She had reasons for not letting anyone too close, especially humans. They didn't understand her - she didn't understand them. And, ultimately, it boiled down to trust. She didn't trust them.

But she didn't feel that way about Yang, and she'd yet to figure out why. Yang's interest in her was flattering, even if she didn't warrant it. And, in the weeks they'd known each other, Yang had yet to raise any red flags through comments or actions that suggested she was anything but what she showed the world.

Blake _trusted_ Yang, as remarkable as that was.

So, instead of heading inside for the evening, she stood on the sidewalk just outside and decided to offer Yang a little of what she was searching for. Nothing major, but a little story might do - a gesture of good faith, that she _could_ open up sometimes.

"You know…" she began, immediately second guessing herself but knowing Yang had earned this piece of information. "I got into the Academy of Vale coming out of high school."

"No way." More than happy to stand around and chat, Yang grinned. "That's where Weiss went!"

"I didn't go," Blake added, shaking her head and watching Yang's smile fall.

"You...didn't? But it's like...the best school around."

"I know."

Yang's brow furrowed with questions, but none appeared. Instead, she stuck her hands in her pockets and waited for Blake to explain. As if she didn't want to press for information even though she wanted it, which Blake appreciated.

"As amazing as it would've been, I didn't think it was my type of school."

"And by that you mean...?"

"There are hardly any Faunus there, Yang," she replied bluntly. "It's the perfect school for someone like Weiss, but when I imagined classes filled with people like her..." Pausing, she thought back on that decision, which had been one of the hardest in her life. Based on intellect alone, she deserved to go. Based on everything else...

"Do you regret it?" Yang asked in a soft voice, and Blake sighed.

"I do. If I had to make the decision today, I would go. And I'd prove to everyone that I belong just as much as them."

"That sounds like you," Yang replied with a light chuckle.

"But I wasn't that person back then. I knew how hard it would be and...decided not to put myself through it. I took the easy way out because that's what the rest of the world expected of me."

Thinking back on it, she was disappointed in herself. So what if that's what the world said? She shouldn't have listened. But that wasn't the only time she had listened to what the world told her to do and, unfortunately, it probably wouldn't be the last.

"I think you made the right choice."

Not at all the response she expected, and she gave Yang a look requesting an explanation.

"Because," Yang began with a small smile. "Those decisions made you who you are today. And I really like the person you are today." Blake's cheeks heated up at the honesty, but Yang carried on. "You're smart, dedicated, and passionate about what you do. Every day I spend with you, you make me want to be better - a better sister, better friend, better person to everyone around me. I wish I could change the world like you do, but I'll settle for trying my best."

"I'm not changing the world," Blake replied with a dismissive laugh that made Yang raise one brow.

"You've already made a difference."

"I don't know about that…"

"You have," Yang insisted, even going so far as to gently grasp Blake's hand to assure her. "You just don't see it. The people who work for you...you've changed their lives by letting them speak out. And the people who read The Voice...there's a reason you have readers who've stuck around for decades."

When Blake stared at their joined hands, marveling at the warmth and softness of Yang's skin, Yang quickly let go and stuck her hands into her pockets.

"I just think...don't sell yourself short. What you've done _matters_, and there's still so much more you'll do - I can feel it."

Yang's confidence seemed misplaced but, at the same time, Blake wanted to believe it was true. She _did_ believe, just a little bit. At the very least, she believed that Yang believed it. And that was, in a way, good enough for her.

"Thank you, Yang," she said, meaning far more than for the most recent conversation. She hoped Yang understood the depths of her gratitude, but the casual shrug and smile made it hard to tell.

"No problem." After glancing up at the building, Yang met Blake's gaze. "You going to be ok tonight?"

"What do you mean?"

"With all the changes and stuff. If you want company, I can stay longer."

At first, Blake thought Yang meant they would stand out here on the sidewalk all night. Maybe that was what Yang meant, but to Blake...it made more sense to go inside. Surprisingly, she wanted to accept, but the idea of Yang sitting in her living room made her nervous in a different way than her nerves about work.

"Thank you," she replied with a shake of her head. "But I've taken up too much of your time already."

Yang wanted to say otherwise - Blake knew it from the look that crossed her face - but she didn't. Instead, she smiled.

"I wouldn't mind, but I'll see you tomorrow morning." With a wink, Yang backed in the direction they just came.

"See you," Blake replied, and caught one last smile before Yang turned and walked away. Blake watched her go, regretting the decision not to invite her in but knowing it was too late to change her mind.

Instead, she sighed and headed inside for the night.

Impossibly, she felt like Yang understood her in a way no one ever had before. Just as impossibly, she felt comforted by the way Yang listened so intently and asked thoughtful, non-prying, yet inquisitive questions. Without much effort, she could tell exactly how much Yang tried to put herself in Blake's shoes so they better understood one another. So they could better communicate and better connect.

Maybe Yang would never fully understand, but her ability to empathize made Blake feel...not quite so alone. That trait, by itself, was remarkable. Yang was a remarkable human being.

No...Yang wasn't just a remarkable human being. She was remarkable, period.


	16. Chapter 16

Even though Blake hardly slept, Saturday morning arrived faster than expected. And, even though she was exhausted from running through hundreds of 'what if' scenarios, she dragged herself out of bed and got ready for work like any normal day.

That's what she kept telling herself - it was a normal day. A normal workday where she headed into the office and saw her coworkers. Then there was that _little _part about finding out whether or not the revamp made a difference, which most certainly determined the course of their careers from here.

What if nothing happened? Lack of response might be better than the worst-case scenario - a steep decline in sales. No matter what the numbers looked like, even if they were atrocious, she couldn't lie to her coworkers. If they asked how good or bad the sales figures were, she would have to tell them.

Hopefully, she didn't need to do that at all. Because maybe, just maybe, the numbers looked good. Healthy. Not like a paper on its last gasping breaths. After so many months of disappointment, she knew better than to get her hopes up. Yet, she still did, even as she skipped her morning tea for fear of overhearing talk about The Vale Voice in public. She didn't want any spoilers, good or bad.

As soon as she arrived at the office, right before eleven, her gaze went to her computer. She wanted to know as much as anyone, but she wouldn't check before everyone else arrived. Theoretically, she _could_ take a peek and prepare herself for the answer, but she firmly believed everyone deserved to know the moment she did. Plus, Velvet would certainly catch her in that lie. So she sat at Yang's desk - the furthest possible seat from her office - clasped her hands together, and waited.

Part of her found it ridiculous to be this anxious. They did great work this week. Every article was interesting and informative, while centered around topics that impacted Faunus. With that focus, most Faunus should be interested in at least one piece, if not all of them.

Regardless, she was anxious. They did what they set out to do, and they did it really damn well. But would current readers accept the change? Would new readers give it a try? Or, after all that work, would no one even care?

Footsteps drew her attention away from the constant questions, and her heart breathed a sigh of relief when Yang opened the door. After taking one look at Blake, Yang smiled and shook her head.

"Damn." With two cups in hand, Yang walked over and set both on the desk before dropping her bag on the floor. "I tried to beat you but hit every single light. You haven't been here long, have you?"

"Just a few minutes."

When Blake moved to get out of Yang's chair, Yang motioned for her to stay put. After settling back in, she watched Yang look at the cups before picking one up and offering it over.

"I got you a tea, if you want it."

Briefly at a loss for words, Blake accepted the cup and struggled to name the emotions running through her. Happiness? Gratitude? Delight? Whatever they were, they were good - uplifting, calming emotions.

"Thank you," she murmured before taking a sip and sighing. It tasted a little different from her usual tea, suggesting Yang went to a different coffeeshop, but the warmth and fragrance did wonders in easing her tension. Plus, Yang's consideration on such a stressful day wasn't lost on her. The fact that Yang thought about her at all was actually very...sweet and endearing.

"What did you get?" she asked, watching Yang sit atop the desk and sip from the second cup. From here, she could smell a combination of spices but couldn't match a name with the scent.

"Chai. You want some?" When Yang extended the cup, Blake shook her head.

"I'm way too happy with this one, thank you."

Wrapping her hands around the warm beverage, she lifted it to her nose and took a long sniff. Yang watched her with a small smile, which made her smile in return. And for a moment, she forgot. She forgot why they were here, in the office, on a Saturday. It wasn't until Sun barged through the door that she remembered, and remembered her nerves too.

"So excited!" he exclaimed, high-fiving Yang before hurrying over and dropping his bag on his desk. "I told all my friends to check it out, and to have all their friends check it out. And their friends' friends -"

When Yang laughed, he stopped talking and grinned.

"Well, you'll get more readers there."

Yang gently bumped Blake's shoulder with the comment, but Blake hardly had time to appreciate the gesture before Victor and Brand walked in.

"What a superb morning," Victor greeted them. Brand gave a hearty laugh - either at Victor or at the situation, Blake wasn't sure - before patting Yang's shoulder in a surprisingly friendly manner.

"What's up Papa Bear?" Sun quipped as Brand walked past. And Brand, who appeared in a good mood this morning - which made Blake wonder what he knew - gave Sun a pat on the back that sent him into Yang's desk. He barely caught himself before giving Blake and Yang a sheepish grin at having lost his balance, and Yang much more gently patted his shoulder.

"Brand…" Blake began, narrowing her eyes at the bear of a man as he set his bag on his chair. Sensing her tone, he looked over and smiled, which only made her more suspicious. Before she asked what he knew, however, the door opened again, and Velvet and Lola walked in together.

"My friends loved your photos," Lola was in the midst of telling Velvet. "Especially the one of the little tiger in the park."

"I'm glad to hear that," Velvet replied before smiling at Blake. "Good morning."

"Good morning." Blake nodded in greeting before catching Lola's gaze. "And you've heard from people? Who've read it?"

From Lola, of all people, Blake expected a straight response. Instead, Lola snuck a sly grin Velvet's way before shrugging.

"One or two of my friends," was all she admitted, and Blake realized they were all intentionally downplaying their responses. Was that a good or bad thing? Based on their moods, it seemed like a good thing, but…

"You need to know, don't you?" Yang whispered to her, and she shot to her feet.

"I need to know."

With several chuckles following her into her office, she started her computer and not-very-patiently waited for everything to load. She only glanced up when she noticed everyone had moved closer to the door, hanging around Sun's desk waiting for the news. The moment her computer was up and running, she took a deep breath and logged into the system that tracked their sales and pending orders. But she paused before clicking to the next screen.

This was the moment of truth, but she lost her desire to know. Pretending their efforts worked was better than knowing the harsh truth. After meeting Yang's gaze, however, she realized that way of thinking was wrong. Even if it didn't work like they thought it would, they had put together something unique, and something she was personally proud of. Maybe the numbers didn't reflect that, but...that shouldn't change how she felt about it.

"Velvet?" she asked, removing her hand from the mouse and gesturing Velvet over. "Will you do the honors?"

This wasn't all about her, as much as they tried to make it. They probably thought they couldn't have done this without her, but they were wrong. She couldn't have done it without them.

"Of course."

Although Velvet looked confused about why she was asked to deliver the news, she didn't protest. And Blake surrendered her position behind the computer in favor of joining the rest of her coworkers just outside the door. After moving closer to Yang's side, close enough to smell the familiar shampoo and gain a sense of comforting warmth, she took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

Velvet clicked then read the screen, but her expression didn't give so much as a hint as to what she saw. After several long, torturous moments of that, she nodded, stood up, and walked over to them.

For the life of her, Blake couldn't read Velvet's perfectly-masked emotions. So she felt, like the rest of them, a sudden spike in anticipation when Velvet stepped outside the door and clasped her hands in front of her.

"So…" Velvet began, meeting Blake's gaze as her heart sank.

"Tell me," she replied, noticing everyone watching her closely. She had to keep calm, no matter what Velvet said next.

"There's a bit of an issue." Blake frowned at the response, but Velvet continued. "Multiple refill orders were placed this morning...but it doesn't look like enough copies were printed."

Blake stared at Velvet while those words sank in. That hardly happened before Sun let out a loud "Booyah!" and everyone else started laughing. Someone patted her on the back, but she still stared at Velvet, waiting for her friend to admit this was some elaborate, horrible prank.

"I'm serious," Velvet added, somehow knowing Blake was waiting for the other shoe to drop. "If you don't believe me, go look for yourself."

When Velvet gestured towards the computer, the truth sank in.

Multiple refills? No copies left? That meant...all of the printed versions sold out. And that had never happened in...as long as she'd worked here.

"You're serious." Even though she already believed, she waited for Velvet to nod before racing into the office to see for herself. She heard everyone talking excitedly amongst themselves, their happiness and cheer reinforcing that this was real, while she looked at the screen and felt her heart jump.

There it was, just like Velvet said. Multiple orders placed before the system said there were no more copies to be sold.

"Congratulations."

Looking up from the screen, Blake found Yang standing just inside the door, wearing a smile that took Blake's already happy heart and lifted it to all-time highs. After one more glance at the numbers, she walked over to Yang and felt a smile of her own appear.

"Thank you," she whispered before giving Yang a hug.

Yang clearly hadn't expected it, and the way she froze made Blake try to withdraw as quickly as possible. But Yang reacted even faster, wrapping her arms around Blake's waist and pulling her closer. Relaxing into the embrace, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the fragrance she grew more attached to with each passing day. Letting that breath out in a long, relieved sigh, she felt like she could melt into Yang right then and there. Excited voices tore her out of that moment too soon.

"Blake!"

Blake nearly sighed when Yang pulled away, but then remembered why everyone was happy - as if Sun's infectious grin could come from anything else.

"We should have a celebration tonight!" he proclaimed before grabbing her hand and pulling her out to join everyone else. "Velvet said she'll get food. Lola's got decorations. Brand's got drinks. I'll grab the tunes, everyone else can grab whatever, and we'll meet back here tonight?"

An office party? She hadn't considered that since they nearly had one for Christmas a couple years ago...

"That...sounds fun."

"Yeah?" Sun brightened even more before clapping his hands and hurrying over to his desk. "Then let's get this party started! I mean, let's go get stuff so we can get this party started! Cuz we sold out! In a good way though - we sold out!"

While Sun grabbed his belongings, everyone else laughed and prepared to leave as well. But Blake looked at Yang, who smiled at everyone's happiness.

"Yang," she said, capturing Yang's attention. "Will you join us?"

"I'm always down for a party," Yang replied with a grin. After glancing at everyone heading out, however, she gave Blake a more serious look. "You're going to stay here and work, aren't you..."

"There's a lot to do." When Yang shook her head, Blake chuckled and added, "But this is good work - I need to get more copies printed so we can fill those orders."

"Need any help?"

Blake understood the offer as more than just one to help - Yang was offering to keep her company.

"It's more of a one-person job," she replied with a grateful smile. "But I'll see you tonight."

"Ok." Yang nodded before grabbing her bag off the floor and picking up her leftover tea. "Then I'll see you in a few hours."

With one last smile, Yang headed out along with everyone else. And soon, Blake stood there alone. With no one around to see, she took a deep breath and let it out in one long exhale. While Yang's company would be nice, she needed a few hours to decompress and come to terms with what just happened. Because _what_ just happened?

Her computer held the answers. Honestly, she could look at the order screen forever if it weren't prompting her to do more work. They needed a second print run as soon as possible, and hopefully Raphael was working on the weekend…

Grabbing the phone and dialing the printshop's number, she literally crossed her fingers and felt a wave of relief when the call picked up.

"Raphael's Printing -"

"Raphael," she said, smiling at his familiar voice. "Are you working today? I have a favor to ask."

"I was wondering when you'd call. You need more copies?"

"Yes - but how did you know that?"

Her confusion only grew when laughter filtered through the phone.

"Surely you know that word travels fast through our community," he explained. "And I can do a second run today - I wouldn't mind printing a million copies of this masterpiece."

His response only made the situation more real. People _liked_ it. They really liked it.

"I think just one more run will do," she said, hearing the smile in her tone. "Thank you so much for taking the time to do this, especially on the weekend."

"Not a problem at all, my dear. Send those orders my way and I'll fill them today."

"I will," Blake replied before hanging up and leaning back with a sigh - this time, a sigh of relief. Over the next few minutes, she aggregated the orders and sent a cohesive email to Raphael. It probably shouldn't have taken that long but, admittedly, she didn't have much experience placing refill requests.

Once that was done, she sifted through her emails and felt her surprise and disbelief grow. Some people emailed to say they loved the new issue. Some offered suggestions for future stories. And a couple of their current advertisers reached out in congratulations - the same advertisers who'd worried about the impact of such a change.

There were still a lot of questions to be answered, but this was enough for now. The boost in readership would keep The Voice afloat and maybe, just maybe, they could keep this up. Before getting into any of that, however, she had an impromptu party to attend.

Evening fell by the time her coworkers returned, with Sun arriving first. Leaving her office to greet him, she frowned when he dragged the foam machine through the door behind him. She only pointed to it, however, before he laughed.

"I figured it out! Don't worry!"

For some reason, she doubted that. But there wasn't time to worry when Yang walked in after him.

Evidently, Yang went home and changed for the occasion. Now, she looked absolutely gorgeous - even more so than usual. Her dark jeans hugged her in all the right places, her shirt was revealing but not overly so, and her hair perfectly matched the gold earrings dangling from her ears. She was the type of beautiful that shouldn't exist in the real world, yet here she was...just steps away from Blake.

"Yang knows how to party." Rushing over, Sun gave Yang a high-five. "But do you know how to use a foam machine?"

"I know how to clean up after one," Yang teased, succeeding in making him laugh before locking eyes with Blake and walking over. Maybe it was the lack of sleep, maybe it was Yang's outfit, or maybe it was a little of both, but Blake could _feel _her skin pulsing with energy the closer Yang drew.

"Hey," Yang said casually, her eyes sparkling with delight.

"Hey," Blake replied, making the mistake of lowering her gaze before looking off to the side in mortification. "You look...ready to party…"

It was a lame greeting, but Yang still laughed.

"Aren't you?"

Blake tried to think of a response to that, but they both jumped at a loud hissing sound that briefly cut through the air.

"Sorry!" Sun yelped. "Don't worry - I got this!"

While he raced around the machine searching for the problem, Blake turned back to Yang and discovered that whatever moment they'd been sharing had passed.

"I should help him with that…" When she gestured towards Sun, Yang glanced that way before meeting her gaze with another smile.

"You probably should."

Blake didn't want to leave the conversation, but took a step backward while holding Yang's gaze. Realizing they would have plenty of time to talk later, she finally turned and nearly walked right into a desk. Thankfully, she managed to stop and avoid a collision, but it definitely wasn't the smoothest exit she ever made.

"Sun," she said, feeling a blush on her cheeks while kneeling by his side. "Let me help you."

Hearing Brand's low voice, she glanced towards the door and saw that the rest of the group was arriving and setting up.

"You're gonna love this, Blake," Sun said in the meantime. "I hooked it up so it'll go off to the beat of the music. Like a concert!"

"You know just what I love…" she muttered while reattaching a loose cord and praying tonight wouldn't be a repeat of the first time.

Surprisingly, Sun seemed to have it under control. And he didn't even plan to use the foam tonight, as he explained while connecting his laptop and gesturing to the bright lights on top of the machine. Maybe Blake was too quick to doubt him, as he quickly had music filling the office while the lights blinked along with the beat.

With the music setting the ambiance, everyone else chatted amongst themselves while sporadic laughs filled the air. For the first time in what felt like forever, the entire office sounded relieved, jovial, and excited - not only about spending time with each other, but about the work they'd done and were yet to do.

Blake smiled when Brand and Lola laughed about something, but her gaze didn't linger there for long. Instead, she searched for...

"Looking for someone?"

Turning around, she felt her smile grow when Yang walked over with two cups in her hands.

"I got you some of this...whatever Brand made." When Yang held out one of the cups, Blake took it gratefully.

"It's called choola," she explained before taking a sip.

"Whatever it is, it's good." Emphasizing that point, Yang took a much bigger sip from her own cup. "What's it made of?"

When Blake scrunched her nose, Yang mirrored the expression.

"Oh. I don't wanna know?"

"Probably not…"

"Gotcha. Just enjoy the flavor and don't think about how it's camel spit or something..."

"And don't drink too much," Blake warned when Yang took another long sip. "It's strong."

Lifting the cup from her lips, Yang laughed and set it on the desk beside them.

"Guess that's enough for now," she said, but grinned when Blake took a much smaller sip. "How're you doing?"

"I don't think it's sunk in yet…"

"Is that why you haven't relaxed?"

"I don't think I _ever_ relax," Blake admitted, and felt another smile appear when Yang laughed and clasped her hands together.

"New goal - I want to see you relax once in my lifetime. I know I might be askin' for a lot, but I think we can do it."

Blake snorted into her cup. "Good luck…"

"Really? You're not even going to help?"

Hearing Yang's disbelief, Blake smiled and shrugged.

"Ok." Resituating on the desk, Yang waved a hand in front of them as if painting a picture. "How about - laying on a beach somewhere. Nice, warm sun...cabana boy giving you a massage...pretty pink drink nearby with one of those little umbrellas...do anything for you?"

"That sounds like _your_ relaxing space."

"Oh, for sure. I know exactly where it is too - Weiss took me there a few months ago. She was just trying to butter me up, but I'm not complaining."

"What was she buttering you up for?"

"She had something _important_ to ask me," Yang replied, her eyes dancing with delight.

Blake wanted to ask what the important question was, but turned to the side when she heard a soft _click_, only to find Velvet hiding behind a camera.

"I'm documenting for posterity," Velvet explained. "Will you pose for a photo?"

When she motioned for them to scoot together, Yang quickly obliged. Then she wrapped her arm around Blake's shoulders while Velvet snapped the picture.

"Perfect." After looking at the camera, Velvet smiled. "Thank you."

"No problem!" Yang said, chuckling while Velvet ran over to Brand and Lola and requested the same. She removed her arm from Blake's shoulder but didn't move away, allowing them to sit side-by-side on the desk. And, when she swiveled slightly, their knees touched.

It could be the drink, but the office felt like it was getting a little warmer.

"So tell me," Yang said, hopefully not noticing the flush on Blake's cheeks. "What do you think your happy place is? I'll try to make it for you."

After glancing at Yang, Blake had to turn away. At this distance, Yang's eyes drew her in so much, she wanted to lean forward and stare.

"I don't know," she answered, squinting at the wall across from them as if it held the answer. "At home, maybe, reading something that's not a newspaper."

"Like a book?" Yang asked, and chuckled when Blake nodded. "So at home with a book - you're making this easy."

"But I hardly feel like reading anymore. Not with work being so…" Finally looking at Yang, Blake motioned around the room. "You know," she concluded before staring down at her cup.

When Yang leaned forward and clasped her hands around Blake's, Blake's heart skipped in surprise.

"You just sold all those copies," Yang said when Blake finally met her eyes. "I may not be an accounting genius but...that seems like a really good thing."

"It is."

"It is," Yang repeated with a growing smile. "And you just did that -"

"We just did that," Blake corrected. It looked like Yang wanted to argue that point, but she let it go with a shake of her head.

"The question is...what are you still worried about?"

"What makes you think I'm worried?" Blake asked, tilting her head and feeling a spike of disappointment when Yang dropped her hands.

"Because I can see it. Or feel it. Or something." Giving up on the explanation with a shrug, Yang smiled instead. "I just know."

While Blake couldn't understand how Yang knew her so well, she wouldn't deny that Yang was right.

"It's just...I have so many questions."

"Like what?"

"Like _who's_ reading it? Was it only Faunus who were interested? Or did we reach more humans…?"

"Well, I told all my friends to read it, so you at least reached a handful of humans."

"You did?"

"Yeah, of course. Had to show off my amateur writing skills...that I needed your help with." Yang shook her head and laughed at the memory. "They all loved it though. Said it was interesting and...informative."

That was as good of a response as Blake could hope for. Something interesting enough that people wanted to read more, but informative enough to get the right message out there.

"But is it sustainable?" she asked, finding it hard to stop the questions now that she'd started them. "Can we find enough meaningful topics to write each week or will we run out of things to cover?" While she pondered the question, Yang shifted and drew her attention. "What do you think?"

"Uh, well, from what I've seen...most people probably have a lot they need to learn about Faunus." Meeting Blake's gaze, Yang gave a hesitant smile. "I don't think you'll ever run out of topics, especially not when you're so good at what you do."

The compliment rolled in reassurance pulled at Blake's heartstrings again, but she turned away rather than lose herself in Yang's eyes.

"Thanks…" she breathed out while watching the rest of the office have a good time. For several seconds, she and Yang sat in silence and watched, their knees still lightly touching.

"Ok," Yang finally said to break the silence. Leaning close, she lowered her voice and whispered, "I bet you five bucks the next sentence Victor says has a word over three syllables in it."

Blake scoffed at the wager.

"What type of idiot do you take me for?"

"Surely that's aggrandizement," Victor huffed at Sun, neither of them noticing Blake and Yang's laughter from across the room.

"Next time," Yang added once her laughter subsided. "I'll win some money off of you."

When Blake rolled her eyes at the idea of Yang winning any bet involving Victor's vocabulary, Yang laughed again and resituated herself. It was probably Blake's imagination that Yang kept moving closer, but that's how it felt. Not that she minded. She actually enjoyed the closeness, although it made her heart a bit...fluttery.

"Can I tell you something?" Yang suddenly asked, drawing Blake's gaze to her clear, lilac eyes.

"Of course."

After glancing around to make sure no one was paying attention, Yang leaned even closer and opened her mouth - only to be cut off by the sound of ringing. Blake didn't recognize the noise, but Yang pulled her phone from her pocket and held it up to see who it was. Even though Blake wasn't trying to snoop, she noticed Weiss' name and corresponding photograph on the screen.

"Ah, shoot," Yang muttered before standing up and giving an apologetic smile. "Gotta get this. Hold that thought?"

"Take your time," Blake replied before watching Yang head into the hall and answer the call.

"What's up, Weiss?" she asked while the door closed behind her.

Left alone on the desk, Blake took another sip of her drink and realized that her brow had knit together at the unexpected interruption. Why did it bother her that when Weiss called, Yang jumped up to answer it? Not only that, but why was Weiss calling so late on the weekend? If they only worked together, it seemed unusual for Weiss to demand time outside of regular working hours...

It bothered her - that was all Blake knew. Fortunately, the call didn't take long, and Yang walked back into the office just a few minutes later. Some of her spark seemed to have disappeared though. Actually, she looked a little downcast, but perked right back up when their eyes met.

"Everything ok?" Blake asked once Yang returned to her.

"Yeah, definitely," Yang said with a bright smile. Blake waited a few seconds to see if Yang would add anything else, but moved on when that seemed to be all.

"You were going to say something?" Blake prodded when Yang didn't immediately bring up the prior conversation.

"Oh! Right." Yang again glanced around but this time didn't lean close. Instead, she held Blake's gaze and smiled. "I wanted to thank you for letting me help the past couple weeks. It's been an amazing experience, and all of you are just...amazing people. I really hope that even after I have to leave, we can keep in touch somehow."

The response wasn't exactly what Blake expected, but she still smiled and nodded.

"Of course. And you're welcome."

Now felt like the perfect time to mention that she was glad Yang came to work with them - despite her initial misgivings - but she couldn't decide how to say it. And the opportunity disappeared when Yang hurried on.

"I want to keep in touch with you too. And maybe...maybe we can still grab lunch. Or maybe even dinner sometime."

Once upon a time, Blake would have counted down the days to Yang leaving. Now...she didn't want to think about it.

"If you'd like," she agreed, knowing it was up to Yang whether they continued to see each other. Any uncertainty disappeared, however, when Yang met her gaze.

"I'd love to."

Blake wanted to ask what brought up that topic but turned to the side when Lola walked over to them.

"Enough chit-chat, you two," she said while grabbing each of them by one arm and pulling them off the desk. Blake pretended to be reluctant as she followed, but her smile probably ruined her reluctance.

"Sun's teaching us a new game," Velvet explained once they joined the rest of the group.

"You bet I am!"

After exchanging glances with Yang, Blake scoffed and mentally prepared herself. Whatever this game was, it would probably be equal parts crazy, confusing, and maybe just a little bit of fun.

It turned out to be all three of those, and the office spent the greater part of the next hour laughing and grumbling and maybe getting just a _little_ competitive over who the rightful winner was. Brand won based on points, while Victor claimed a technicality cost him the victory. In the end, Sun declared them all winners and suggested making it a monthly competition.

"Think about it," he was still saying as the celebration wound down and people prepared to leave. "We could run it like a year-long tournament! Each month is a different theme, and we keep track of the points from month-to-month."

"Who's this 'we?'" Velvet asked while putting on her coat and collecting her belongings.

"You'll help me run it, right?" When Velvet laughed and headed towards the door, Sun was quick to follow. "You're my co-chair! And more organized than me."

"Right…" Passing by Yang and Blake, Velvet nodded and said, "Goodnight, you two."

"I'll get that Monday," Sun said, waving towards the foam machine while holding the door for Velvet. "Night, guys!"

"Goodnight," Blake called after them. Then the door closed, leaving just her and Yang in the office - the two of them having reclaimed their seats on the desk like earlier. It didn't matter how long she and Yang talked, she always wanted to say more. More importantly, Yang always seemed willing to listen.

"The numbers will level off from the initial publicity," Blake continued as if they were never interrupted, taking comfort in voicing her still-sporadic thoughts. "But if we grow organically from here, more people could be reading on a weekly basis, and that changes the types of stories we can run. Themes, holidays, reader submissions - it will be more work, but worth it."

Trailing off into silence, Blake considered the potential of the path before them. Freed of the confines of reporting the daily news, they had more flexibility. And with more readers, they would have the income to write for the foreseeable future.

"We might not _need_ Weiss to advertise," she realized, only to look over when Yang chuckled.

"Not needing Weiss is a good position to be in, but I'm sure she'll help anyway."

As far as Blake was concerned, Weiss had already helped far more than expected - by sending Yang to their office.

"I really can't thank you enough," she said, turning towards Yang and letting their knees rest together again. Yang laughed at the gratitude - that happy laugh Blake liked.

"You have nothing to thank me for. I had a random idea - you're the one who made it happen."

"Then we make a good team."

This time, Yang smiled.

"_I_ think so."

Blake thought so too. But when a glimpse of perfectly-styled white hair flashed through her mind, she leaned back and looked at her hands.

"You and Weiss…" she began, her heart speeding up in anticipation of the answer. "What's your relationship, exactly?"

When she forced herself to look up, Yang wore an almost unreadable expression.

"We're friends," she answered, scooting closer even though they were already only inches apart. Blake wanted to take comfort in the answer, but something about it still bothered her - she needed more clarification.

"Like how we're friends?" she asked, but Yang shook her head while a smile played at the corners of her mouth.

"No. Not at all like how we're friends."

The answer was a relief that Blake felt in her heart and mind.

"I was just curious," she explained, and Yang nodded.

"Makes sense. You can ask me anything, you know? If you're ever curious or...worried."

Yang's eyes, which shone with sincerity, said much more than the words did. It was permission to be worried, yes, but also permission to be possessive like Blake felt earlier tonight. More than that, it felt like permission to be...honest. Honest about why she asked the question - why she felt the need to know - why she would have been disappointed at a different answer.

"I'll keep that in mind…" she said, meeting Yang's gaze as a rush of powerful emotions swept through her.

She didn't know if she made the first move or if Yang did, but the next moment they were kissing - their lips locked together as if they'd waited for this for too long. Moving together as if they'd secretly wanted this all along.

Excitement poured through Blake's veins as the kiss continued and she savored every new experience flooding her senses. Yang's lips were soft and warm - so soft that Blake hummed with pleasure while feeling them pressed against hers. Then there was the smell of Yang's shampoo, which filled Blake with the desire to be even closer. So she moved closer, feeling Yang's body heat with every bit of her being while weaving her hand through Yang's hair, which was softer than she'd ever imagined.

It was a release - such an incredible release of pent-up feelings. They spilled from her lips as fast as she could think them, and Yang returned each and every one tenfold.

When Yang's hand swept through her hair and settled on the back of her neck - pulling her deeper into the kiss - she suddenly realized what was happening. And she immediately pressed her hand against Yang's collarbone, keeping Yang in place while leaning away and putting some distance between them.

"I'm sorry…" she breathed out, hardly able to hear over the pounding of her heart in her ears. "I don't know...how…"

Words trailing off, she tried to sort out what just happened. They were talking and then...they were kissing.

"You don't need to apologize," Yang said, meeting Blake's gaze with a reassuring smile. "I mean, you're a really good kisser."

As a hot blush rushed to her cheeks, Blake turned away and grappled with her swirling emotions.

"Thanks," she replied, trying to regain her breath while looking anywhere but at Yang. "You are - I'm just -"

Stumbling over her words, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She needed to calm down. She needed to calm down and focus. Regain her composure, form actual sentences, and erase what just happened. Because what just happened couldn't have happened. Because she didn't like Yang in _that_ way. They were...friends. Just friends.

"I'm sorry," she said, still looking pointedly away from Yang. "I just...can't get romantically involved with a coworker..."

It was a legitimate reason but, in the silence that followed, she started to worry. When she looked up, however, Yang simply smiled and nodded.

"I get it. You don't need workplace drama."

"Yeah…" Blake huffed out, her cheeks flushing even deeper when she realized she still had her palm pressed to Yang's collar. Pulling her arm away, she met Yang's gaze and was drawn right back into a cheerful, unassuming grin.

"How about one more for the heck of it?" Yang asked, that grin growing as her eyes danced with desire.

Blake could say 'no.' Yang gave her more than enough opportunity to move away, to separate herself from the situation. Instead, she leaned forward, something deep inside her compelling her to feel those tender lips again.

Yang met her halfway, and the moment they touched that same pulsing energy surged through her, begging her to deepen the kiss. Yang's hand slid down her side then behind her back, making her shiver as they pressed closer together, their bodies becoming more intertwined by the second.

The part of her mind ringing with alarm faded into the background, as all she could feel and hear and smell and sense was _Yang_. It was everything Blake knew from spending time together but...more. More intense, more all-encompassing, more amazing…

Feeling Yang's tongue brush across her lips, Blake willingly opened her mouth and welcomed that new sensation inside, then pressed forward to taste the drink lingering in Yang's. Their heat and fervor built as they tried to meld into one - their tongues swirling together, their hands running all over each other, their legs pressed together.

Blake felt no caution in that moment - no sense of reticence while drawn into every sensation Yang offered her. And she probably would have pressed even further had Yang not broken away first.

But Yang didn't move far away, instead staying within a breath's distance and staring into Blake's eyes. Happy with whatever she found there, she smiled and kissed Blake one more time - this one tender, caring, and filled with an emotion Blake couldn't qualify.

"One for the road," Yang whispered before pulling away. She then separated herself from Blake's arms, freed her legs, and stood up to stretch. "I should probably head out...but how long do you think you'll stay?" she asked after glancing around the empty office. "Want company? I can hang around a little longer."

Blake's mind raced in so many directions, she had no idea what she wanted. That confusion made it impossible to focus on any thought other than how Yang's lips felt, how her tongue tasted, how warm her hands were...

"I think...I'm going to work more first...then head home."

The haze lifted the further from the kiss they grew, and forming coherent sentences became a little easier. But that did nothing to ease her shock at what happened. Yang, however, didn't look at all surprised - by the answer or the kiss. Instead, she smiled and gave a slight shake of her head.

"Will you ever be satisfied with what you've accomplished?"

"Not until every Faunus is treated as equal," Blake answered before thinking about the implication. "So, no, probably not in my lifetime."

For whatever reason, the answer only made Yang happier.

"That's one of the reasons I like you," she replied with that same goofy smile on her lips. She only glanced away to grab her bag from the floor, then held Blake's gaze once more. "Don't work too hard, ok?" she said, but Blake only managed a nod in response.

Fortunately, Yang accepted the answer and left the office a second later. As soon as the door closed, Blake held her fingers to her lips and tried to slow her hammering heart.

That was...amazing. The kiss...enveloping herself in Yang...experiencing that rush of emotions…everything about it was amazing.

But the alarms were back - she heard them now, and they drowned out any happiness she should have felt. She shouldn't have done that. _They_ shouldn't have done that. Not only because they were, in a sense, coworkers, but also because...Yang was human.

Dropping her hand from her lips, Blake closed her eyes and felt a powerful ache in her chest. She'd dedicated her life to Faunus rights...she couldn't be with a human in that way.


	17. Chapter 17

There were so many reasons to not want to go to work. An uninteresting job, a stressful one, a horrible boss, awful coworkers...why couldn't Blake have one of those problems? Instead, she spent the rest of the weekend dreading work because she liked a coworker _too_ much. Not just any coworker either - the only human coworker she had, who technically wasn't even an employee.

She broke the cardinal rule - nothing more than friendship with coworkers. Anything more and _this_ happened. Not only had she crossed the line, but she did so with someone she had no chance of being with. Someone she had to face now that it was Monday.

The entire morning, she considered calling in sick. Unfortunately, that would be a dead giveaway that something was wrong. That, or someone - most likely the same someone she wanted to avoid - would check on her and discover how healthy she was.

She had to go in. Plus, she couldn't avoid the office forever. After the success of the latest edition, there was a lot of work to do.

Her reluctance made her late, but she still insisted on getting her morning tea. Doing so would make her even later, but she refused to brave this day without a peach tea to temper her nerves.

Seeing as how it was later than usual, the coffeeshop buzzed with voices and activity when she walked inside. Waiting in line gave her the chance to observe the goings-on around her, which was night-and-day compared to her typical early-morning experience. Much to her surprise, several humans stood in line with her, while a couple of others already had their drinks and sat at various tables. Her gaze lingered an extra second on the redheaded girl sitting in one of the corner booths, who seemed to have become a regular.

Behind the counter, Sam and another canine barista buzzed back and forth, talking to customers while racing through drink orders. From Sam's wide eyes and palpable excitement, this was what he did best. The slow, dragging morning must be exceptionally tedious for someone with his energy level.

"Hey Blake!" he greeted her as soon as she reached the front of the line. Seeing as how he was already making her tea, she pulled out her wallet to pay.

"Hey Sam. It's busy today."

"It's usually like this on Monday," he replied while running the register and swiping her card. With how fast he was moving, Blake worried he might knock something over. But the bar ran with a sense of controlled chaos that would make her uncomfortable if she worked here.

"Everyone starts slow after the weekend," he added before returning her card and motioning for her to wait.

While putting her card away, Blake felt a gaze upon her. Seeking out the source without fully turning, she noticed the redhead subtly watching the conversation. Or, more likely, watching Sam's part in it. Smiling at the realization, she watched Sam brew her tea.

"Oh hey," he added in the midst of doing so. "I've heard great things about the new edition! Will you keep writing like that?"

"That's the plan right now." The topic still filled her with a wonderful sense of surprise, pride, and happiness, as if she'd done something particularly great to help her kind.

"I really liked the one on Flounderball," Sam continued while sliding her tea across the counter. "Hope you have a good one!" he added with a friendly smile before turning his attention to the next customer in line.

Sparing one last glance towards the redheaded girl, who'd gone back to reading, Blake smiled and headed outside. Now with her tea in hand, she lifted it to her nose and took a deep breath of the comforting scent. Who wouldn't want to get their coffee from such a lively, happy bunch? Sam's energy was like a jolt of rejuvenation, and that was before taking a sip of coffee.

That thought, however, drew Blake's thoughts to her own daily jolt of rejuvenation - Yang. Yang's personality was like a warm, sunny day. Her smile could light up any room. Her laugh could lift anyone's spirits. And, on top of that, she was unequivocally gorgeous.

Blake couldn't fault herself for being drawn to such a magnetic person; everyone who met Yang likely felt the same way. The issue was...Blake had devoted her life to helping Faunus. And Yang wasn't Faunus.

So even though Blake was undoubtedly attracted to Yang, as Saturday night proved, they couldn't be together. That meant her biggest issue was undoing what she already did and hoping Yang would understand.

But her steps slowed and avoidance brewed in her chest as she approached the office. She didn't want to have that conversation, but forced herself onward. For all she knew, Yang thought nothing of what happened. Maybe she expected it to be a one-time thing. Maybe she only _wanted _it to be a one-time thing.

Entering the lobby and heading towards the stairs, Blake felt her heart protest the thought. Deep down, she didn't want Yang to think so trivially of that moment. She wanted it to be as big of a deal to Yang as it was to her. But, realistically, work would be more comfortable if Yang thought nothing of it...so Blake couldn't decide which she preferred.

Ultimately, it wasn't up to her, as her heart reminded her when she stopped outside the door to the office. Tuning her ears, she heard soft voices from inside. Everyone was probably here already, which meant Yang sat on just the other side of the door.

Would she say anything? Would she want to talk about it right away? Or would she avoid the topic like Blake wanted to? Maybe they could pretend it never happened and go back to how things were - that was probably the best solution.

Not wanting to dawdle for too long, Blake stood in the hall for only a few seconds before taking a deep breath and opening the door. Determined to act like normal, she walked into the office prepared to offer a greeting to each of her coworkers, including Yang.

She didn't make it two steps through the door, however, before stopping. Confusion bloomed in her chest as she scanned the room once, then twice, and confirmed the conspicuous absence of the very person she'd wanted to avoid.

Brand, Sun, Victor, Lola, Velvet...

"Good morning, Blake," Velvet greeted her with a small smile.

"Good morning," she replied on autopilot before her gaze returned to Yang's empty desk. Not only empty, but clean. Cleaner than it had been in weeks.

"Where's Yang?"

As soon as she asked the question, the room stilled. Fingers stopped typing, hands paused writing, and everyone looked at each other with the same disappointed, crestfallen expression. That's when she realized something that hadn't occurred to her until now.

What if Yang was mad at her, or upset that she hadn't called or said anything all weekend? What if Yang was so upset that she came in early, took her stuff, told everyone what happened, and stormed out?

Forget the awkward conversation; this was worse. As Blake shifted into damage control mode, however, Velvet finally spoke up.

"She was here earlier to get her things...said her job was done, but she'll stop by later to say goodbye."

"Oh..."

Still trying to figure out what was going on, Blake could think of nothing else to say. Yang wasn't mad at her? She hadn't told the office what happened? Her job was 'done,' so she just...left?

"I didn't realize she was leaving so soon..." she mumbled, fighting off a flurry of emotions that only confused her further.

"It's a bummer," Sun added from his spot perched on Velvet's desk.

"We knew she'd only be here for a little while," Velvet consoled him.

"Yeah, but...who will make monkey puns with me now?"

Velvet patted his shoulder, but he sighed before heading to his desk.

For her part, Blake had no idea what to do with the somber mood. After having such a great weekend in terms of work accomplishments, she thought they would start the week with that same rush of emotions. Instead, it felt like they lost a close friend. Yang hadn't been here that long...she didn't even belong here to begin with, so how could that be the case?

"That's...unfortunate..."

She couldn't think of anything else to say, especially when she couldn't even make sense of the emotions swirling through her chest. While relieved that Yang wasn't mad at her, she was also...disappointed.

"It is, isn't it?" Velvet replied in a soft voice. "I think we all enjoyed having her around."

When Velvet gave Blake a knowing look, she didn't bother denying the implication. How could she when an unmistakable sense of sadness swelled in her chest, coupled with loss and confusion.

"I think so too," she whispered, meeting Velvet's gaze for a half-second before turning away. "At least we'll see her again today."

When everyone looked relieved by the thought, Blake forced a smile before hurrying into her office and closing the door behind her. The irony of the situation wasn't lost on her. After spending the morning dreading the inevitable conversation, now she was disappointed that Yang wasn't here.

It was more than disappointment though. Disappointment would be if Yang was late, or sick, or had an appointment keeping her away from the office. This was different. This was...permanent.

Yang was never supposed to be here forever, Blake reminded herself while starting her computer, hoping for a meaningful distraction. They knew it was a short-term situation, that Yang was only here to see how The Voice operated before moving on. She was never meant to stay. She was never meant to become part of their family.

Yet Blake took some solace in knowing that Yang would be back at some point today. The knowledge also made her anxious - because she wanted to see Yang, but she didn't. But she did.

Once her emails loaded, her gaze flitted to Yang's desk. Seeing it empty and abandoned sent a wave of sadness through her chest, which she avoided by focusing on her unread mail. She only made it through the first one before her gaze returned to Yang's desk, provoking even more angst. The rest of her emails continued the same process - read the message, look at Yang's desk, suffer the emotional consequences, repeat.

The urge to glance that direction became so noticeable that she had to conclude it was a habit. But when had it become a habit to look at Yang's desk? What did she hope to gain besides another reminder that Yang was gone?

Maybe glancing that way used to help her through the day. Yang often caught her gaze and smiled, and that smile was the burst of energy Blake needed for yet another email or phone call.

After tearing her eyes away yet again, she shook her head and tried to focus on the screen. A response needed to be drafted - a summation of the advertisement slots they had available - but she couldn't concentrate. Instead, she looked at the time and wondered when Yang would stop by. When was 'later?' In the next hour? In a few hours? At the end of the day?

Closing her eyes and sighing, she decided she couldn't work like this. Not if she wanted to accomplish anything. So she walked over to her door, opened it, and poked her head into the office.

"I'm going to close these to do some deep thinking for the week," she explained, not wanting to cause worry by shutting the blinds without explanation. Sun, however, chuckled at the excuse.

"If you're hungover, you can just tell us."

Rolling her eyes at the tease, she ducked back into her office and drew the blinds.

As soon as she couldn't see the office, she felt better. Personally, she'd always enjoyed the added privacy but didn't want to make her coworkers uncomfortable by shutting herself in her office all the time. It was bad enough she did that as it was. Blocking herself from view would only be more seclusion.

Returning to her desk, she could hear soft conversations from the room beyond but was able to focus away from the noise. And, if she couldn't hear or see them, she could pretend she was the only one in the office.

She made it through exactly three emails before her thoughts drifted back to Yang. With the blinds closed, she could imagine that Yang was still there - sitting just outside, chatting with Velvet or Sun or Brand about whatever topics they were working on for the week. And thinking about Yang was tumultuous in a way Blake had never experienced before. On the one hand, her heart wanted to flutter right out of her chest. Then it dove in pain and agony.

Why Yang? Sure, she was funny, compassionate, and understanding, but she was _human_. Why couldn't she be a Faunus? If that were the case…

That wasn't the case, and it never would be. Yang couldn't wake up and decide to be Faunus anymore than Blake could wake up and decide to be human.

With another shake of her head, she tried to focus on the next email. Some of the companies who'd expressed hesitancy last week had sent messages of gratitude and support. Any suggestions of returning to the old format had disappeared, but that only made her think about Yang even more. It was Yang's idea, after all, that brought them to this place.

After typing another response - a laborious process that took longer than necessary - she sat back and frowned. Apparently, she needed to talk to Yang sooner rather than later. Otherwise, she wouldn't get any work done today.

A soft knock drew her attention away from the screen, and her heart jumped with expectation.

"Come in," she called out, only for her anxiety to release when Velvet walked through the door. "Oh, hey Velvet."

"Hey." After quietly closing the door behind her, Velvet sat down and folded her hands across her lap. "Are you doing ok?"

"Of course. Why?" Blake saw the flash of understanding in Velvet's eyes, but Velvet wasn't one to bluntly voicing her observations.

"You just seem...off."

"It was...a long week."

"That's true, but after Saturday I thought you'd be more...energized."

Even though Velvet meant energized from their recent success, Blake's pulse rose as her thoughts went to her kisses with Yang instead.

"Maybe in a couple days everything will settle into a new normal." When her computer chimed with the arrival of another email, she glanced that way and shook her head. "Or maybe in a couple weeks."

She knew Velvet would understand that much. The revamp changed their process, which meant new deadlines and tasks to grow accustomed to. Not only that, but now they had to re-acclimate to an office without Yang.

"What'd you bring?" she asked, motioning to the stack of photos in Velvet's hands before they dove into that topic any further.

"Oh, I printed the photos from Saturday." Velvet handed the pictures to Blake, who accepted them even though she suddenly wished she hadn't asked. "Some of them turned out really well. I thought we could use that one for the website."

Velvet gestured towards the photo on top, which was the group shot they took before everyone left.

"We should update that..." Blake muttered while looking over the image of all seven of them near the door of the office. Her gaze immediately went to Yang, who looked marvelous and happy standing between Blake and Lola.

Seeing Yang with a group of Faunus only highlighted her...differences...even more. Quite simply, she stood out. Anyone looking at this photo would see it clear as day, which begged the question...could they use it on their website?

"If you don't want to use that one, there are others."

"I'll think about it," Blake replied, smiling at Velvet while internally struggling with how she felt.

The look Velvet gave her - part confusion, part something else - only added to the disoriented array of emotions in her chest. Fortunately, Velvet nodded and headed towards the door. With her hand on the handle, however, she stopped and turned back.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Pretty sure."

Blake forced a smile but, from the way Velvet's ears drooped, she didn't fall for it.

"If you ever need someone to talk to, you know I'll listen."

The words served as a gentle reminder that Velvet had never judged Blake for anything, and never would. They were friends, and eventually Blake would explain what happened. But right now...she didn't understand how she felt about the situation. No way could she put her jumbled mess of emotions into words.

"Thank you," she said, this time with an easier smile as Velvet nodded and left the office behind. Once the door closed, relative silence and isolation returned to the room.

Blake broke the silence with a sigh and leaned back in her chair while staring at the stack of photos. She shouldn't go through them - she knew that. Many of them probably featured Yang, and she didn't know if she could look at Yang without causing herself even more turmoil.

That didn't stop her from grabbing the stack and flipping through one-by-one.

The first few were group photos, all of which included Yang - if Velvet had others for the website, they must be from a different day. The rest were a variety of candid shots and requests that captured the levity and joy of that day. Their hard work had been rewarded, and the relief showed on everyone's faces and in their postures.

The images that drew most of Blake's attention, however, were of her and Yang. Without their notice, Velvet had caught them in the midst of talking, laughing, or having a more serious conversation where Blake spoke and Yang listened with genuine interest in her eyes.

In one of the photos, which Blake kept coming back to, the two of them sat on Yang's desk towards the end of the night. They were leaning close together. They were smiling at each other about something. And Yang's hand rested on Blake's knee, though Blake hadn't even noticed the gesture at the time.

Looking through Velvet's lens, the moment was intimate. If it was two strangers, Blake would say 'they're in love.' But it wasn't two strangers.

After flipping through the stack, she left the photo of her and Yang on top and looked away. But it was only a second before she turned right back and tried to figure out what about that moment drew her in so much.

It looked like they didn't know anyone else existed. Their eyes were only for each other. Their smiles only for each other. And their proximity suggested a closeness far greater than Blake knew about. Was she so blind to her feelings? Because here, in this photo, they showed through clear as day.

Finally pushing the photos away, she closed her eyes and ran a hand through her hair. Everything was so much easier on Friday when they hadn't kissed and were 'just friends.' Life was simpler then. She could spend the entire day with Yang and not worry about what it meant. All that mattered was that she enjoyed Yang's company, and she felt like Yang enjoyed hers. Now, everything was...different.

Determined to let it go, she turned to her computer but immediately sensed a disturbance in the office. Even with the blinds drawn and the door closed, she heard Sun's excited voice and felt her heartbeat increase in turn. The moment had arrived, but now she wanted nothing to do with it.

While the conversations continued outside, she flipped the stack of photos over and tried to look like she was working. In actuality, she could hardly read the words on the screen while focusing on the voices beyond her office and wondering when her door might open.

Two soft knocks happened first, giving her time to turn away from her computer and shuffle a few papers on her desk.

"Come in," she said, picking up an article only to set it down when Yang walked into the room. Just _seeing_ her sent such a torrent of emotions through Blake's chest, she rose out of her seat and took several steps forward before forcing herself to stop in front of her desk.

"Hey."

It was such a simple greeting, but Yang's eyes and irresistible smile told a much greater story.

"Hey," Blake replied, her heart pounding in her ears while her palms grew clammy.

After thinking so much about this moment, now she couldn't remember what she wanted to say or do or...anything. Any expectation of Yang treating her differently, however, was thrown out the window. This wasn't different. This was more of the same, but with clear desire written in lilac eyes.

"So...I'm not your coworker anymore…"

When Yang moved closer, Blake realized that she should have stayed behind her desk. Because now, with Yang mere feet away and that distance shrinking, her skin tingled with anticipation and longing.

"Apparently not."

When Blake frowned at the response, Yang reached up and gently touched her cheek. Accompanying the touch was a patient smile and the kindest eyes she'd ever seen. And, just like that, the fire contained since Saturday broke free and roared through her chest.

"I thought it'd be a good thing," Yang replied, a smile lifting her lips while she searched Blake's eyes for an answer.

After waiting all morning, Blake couldn't help rejoicing now that they were together again. Her mind was still turmoil, but Yang was still Yang. And Blake could stare into Yang's eyes forever, take comfort in her company forever…

When Yang gently brushed a strand of hair behind Blake's ear, she realized how close they were. All she had to do was lean closer…

The next second, their lips met, both of them moving forward as if drawn by some invisible force. That force compelled them to pick up right where they left off, and desire poured through Blake's veins while Yang pressed against her and their mouths did the talking.

Their lips parted in unison, and feeling Yang's tongue slide into her mouth only made her skin hotter and their kisses more fervent than ever. She felt herself backed against the desk while their hands explored everywhere, as if finally given permission to touch the places they'd never touched before.

And she _wanted_ it to happen. Yang's lips, tongue, hands, body, warmth...all of it. She wanted all of it and more. Because it felt like Yang could never kiss her enough. Because it felt as if, no matter how many moments like these they shared, she would never be satisfied.

Her pleasure increased exponentially as Yang's hand traveled up her side before moving towards the ears atop her head. She knew exactly what Yang intended to do, where she was headed, and felt a spike of desire just waiting for it to happen.

When Yang's fingers gently brushed the soft, sensitive skin at the base of her ears, she abruptly broke away from the kiss as a moan bubbled up in her throat.

"Sorry, should I not have gone for the ears?"

"No, that was…"

Cheeks flushed and breathing heavy, Blake lightly coughed into her hand and tried to compose herself. But that sensation had been too intense. And they were still in the office, with multiple people capable of hearing her if she started doing _that_.

Along with the embarrassment, however, was the fleeting thought that if they kept kissing, she wouldn't have time to think about the other issues. She could lose herself in the feeling and think about nothing else. Unfortunately, that was an improbable solution to an improbable situation. The only solution was to talk about it and move on - both of them understanding that as enjoyable as kissing was, they couldn't move beyond that.

"Why didn't you mention you were leaving?" she asked, watching Yang's eyes fill with disappointment while her hand settled on Blake's hip. The warmth sent a shiver down her spine, but she didn't move away from the contact. If this was the last time they would do this, she wanted to enjoy it as long as possible.

"Sorry...I would have, but I didn't want to ruin the mood, you know?"

"I see…" Blake replied, although she wasn't sure that she agreed with withholding that information.

"Besides, I can still help! Weiss just needs some of my time in the morning, but I can help in the afternoons or evenings. I mean, if you want me to."

"Why wouldn't I want you to?"

"I dunno," Yang replied with a shrug and a smile. "Maybe you're tired of me by now."

From Blake's current emotions, she wasn't at all tired of Yang. If anything, she wanted to see even more of her.

"I'm not," she answered, only for Yang to meet her gaze with one of the most gorgeous smiles she'd ever seen.

"God…" Yang breathed out, gently twirling a finger through Blake's hair. "I haven't stopped thinking about you since Saturday."

The admission only played with Blake's heart more. The idea of Yang thinking about her in _that_ way made her conflicted and...longing. She'd never wished Yang to be anyone but herself, but now...if only she was a Faunus. If she was, then Blake could return those feelings and they _could_ be together in that way.

"I...same..." she admitted, whispering the words and wondering why she inched forward. She knew how Yang would respond, with a smile that lit the room, and she knew it would make her want Yang even more.

"Yeah?" Yang asked, shifting her feet in a way that gently brought their hips together. Her other hand settled on Blake's side, adding to the warmth and fluttering feelings moving through Blake's chest. "So...maybe I can take you out to lunch today?"

Blake wanted nothing more than to spend time with Yang, but she glanced at her computer instead.

"I have a lot of work to do..."

Surprisingly, Yang didn't look disappointed by the response. If anything, she looked like she'd expected it.

"Good work, right?"

"Yes." Blake nodded but couldn't hope to match Yang's smile. "Between the sudden interest in advertisements and getting this week's edition ready...yes, there's a lot to do."

"How about dinner then?" Yang asked. "We can eat late," she added when Blake opened her mouth. "Or I can bring something back for you. Oh, that reminds me."

After fishing around in her pocket, Yang pulled out a set of keys and removed the office key Blake made for her.

"Guess this goes back to you?"

When Yang held the key out, Blake accepted it with a heavy heart. After looking at it for a few seconds, she closed her fingers around it and sighed.

"Sure."

Knowing what she had to say next, an overwhelming feeling of loss welled in her chest. If she didn't say anything though, Yang would just keep asking her out...

If she squinted, she could imagine Yang was a Faunus. A lion, maybe, with her wavy blonde hair and bright eyes. But she wasn't. She just wasn't.

Looking at the key in her hand, Blake took a deep breath and reminded herself that this was for the best. Not only could she not date a human but...why would Yang want to date a Faunus, anyway?

"I don't think I can do dinner tonight."

Blake didn't want to look up, but she did anyway. And she saw the brief confusion in Yang's eyes before a short laugh came out.

"Tomorrow then?" When Blake turned away, feeling a crushing weight on her heart, Yang chuckled again. "Are you really going to make me wait for the weekend?"

For a second, there was silence. And Blake considered saying yes, just to make the feeling of hopelessness go away. Just give in - just accept these feelings and spend more time with Yang - but then who would she be? Her life was dedicated to Faunus…

Finally summoning the courage, she turned back to Yang...and Yang's face fell with realization. Dropping her hands from Blake's sides, she stepped back and frowned.

"This has nothing to do with us working together, does it..."

"It does…"

"But only because that's a convenient excuse."

When put that way, it sounded horrible. But it was true. She'd hoped the easy answer would work, then she wouldn't have to explain what was actually wrong. She could hide behind the taboo of workplace relationships rather than a taboo they could never change.

"It was how I felt at the time…" she mumbled, although that hardly made things better. If anything, that response made her feel so horrible that she could hardly bear the way Yang looked at her right now. Disbelieving but also...sad.

"Then...will you tell me why you won't go out with me?"

Blake didn't want to respond, but Yang deserved an answer. Especially after Saturday. Blake had sent mixed signals, so many mixed signals, and Yang deserved an honest response. Yang deserved to know exactly why they could never be together.

"I'm a Faunus, Yang," Blake replied, feeling her throat constrict with emotion. "And you're..." Unable to say the word, she simply motioned towards Yang before letting her hand fall to her side.

"I'm not," Yang finished for her. "Why does that suddenly matter?"

Meeting Yang's gaze, Blake shook her head.

"It _always_ mattered."

"But it didn't," Yang replied, not in an accusatory tone but an...honest one. "Not when we spent time together or flirted with one another. But now it does." Unsure if Yang was talking more to herself or not, Blake remained quiet while Yang searched her eyes for the answer.

"It didn't matter that I'm human before we kissed, but now..." When Blake tried to turn away at the mere mention of that moment, Yang ducked in front of her to keep her gaze. "Do you like me?"

Blake's heart thumped at the question - a loud 'yes' she couldn't possibly express aloud.

"Maybe, but…"

"No buts." Yang shook her head and set her hand on Blake's arm. "I think you like me, and I sure as hell like you. Why does it matter if you're Faunus and I'm not? If we like each other -"

"It's not that simple, Yang."

"Yes, it is." Yang reached down and held Blake's hand, sending jolts of sadness through her veins. "I don't care what the world says about me. I don't care what humans think about me, or what Faunus think about me, or what anyone else thinks about me. I like you, and I'll try my hardest to be the best for you every single day. Let people think what they want to think. That doesn't matter to me."

Staring at their joined hands, Blake grappled with her emotions and wished she never put herself in this position. But what Yang just said...while it made her feel flattered and appreciative...just reminded her of how much she would be letting down her community.

After one more second savoring the feeling of Yang's hand, Blake pulled away and looked up.

"It matters to me."

When Yang's determination immediately deflated, Blake knew she had finally made her position known - which made her feel worse. Yang's sigh and sad, resigned smile only added to that feeling.

"And that's what really matters," Yang replied before shaking her head. It looked like she had more to say, but she merely stared at Blake for several long, painful seconds before turning away.

The loss of Yang's gaze hurt. It hurt more than anything up to this point, and Blake nearly reached out to touch Yang's arm, to pull her back, anything to keep her gaze.

"I guess I'll leave then..."

Blake opened her mouth to protest. She didn't want Yang to leave. They worked so well together. They got along so well together. She wanted to stay friends, but was she in the position to make requests when she just turned Yang down? She didn't think so, which was why she said nothing as Yang headed towards the door.

"By the way." With her hand on the handle, Yang spoke that direction rather than meet Blake's gaze. "Weiss said she'll buy those ad spaces, so...I guess you got what you wanted."

"Wait -" Blake said as soon as the comment sunk in, pausing Yang with the door slightly ajar. "You don't think I...used you for that, do you?"

For several tense seconds, Yang stared at her hand. Unable to see her eyes, Blake had no idea what she was thinking or feeling, but eventually she clenched her jaw and shook her head.

"I don't know what to think anymore..." she mumbled before pushing the door open and walking out of Blake's office.

"Ok guys," she called out, somehow managing an upbeat tone when addressing everyone else but making it very clear she wouldn't turn back to Blake. "I'm out of here for now."

With Blake frozen in place, watching through the open door, Yang walked over to Brand and opened her arms for a hug. He didn't hesitate to give her one, and easily lifted her off the ground before setting her down and gently patting her shoulder.

"You take care," he told her in a soft, caring tone.

"You too," Yang replied. "And try to make it to one of the games this year. You've gotta see Grizzell crush those pitches out of the park."

"I will." While Brand gave a deep laugh, Yang turned to Victor and extended her hand for a handshake.

"I'll miss your sagacious ways," she said with a straight face, but her lips twitched upward at Victor's soft 'whowho's of delight.

"I'll miss your vivacious spirit," he replied while giving Yang a firm handshake. With a laugh at the response, Yang walked over and hugged Lola next.

"I'll still see you for the Celicas," she said after pulling away. "No way I'm missing that."

"Good," Lola replied with a smile. "I'll miss seeing you here at work, but I hope we'll stay in touch?"

"Of course. You can call or message me anytime." When Lola looked reassured by the response, Yang turned to Velvet and sighed.

"Thank you so much for your help," she told Velvet before hugging her. "I doubt I would've survived without you..."

"It was a pleasure." When Yang pulled away, Velvet smiled. "Take care of yourself, ok?"

"I will if you will," Yang replied before giving Velvet another quick hug and finally turning to Sun. As soon as Yang's attention was elsewhere, Velvet shot Blake a curious look, but Blake was too busy feeling her heart break to respond.

Yang walked over to Sun next, but he frowned and crossed his arms so she couldn't hug him.

"I don't want you to leave."

"I know, right?" Yang smiled. "Just when I was getting in the _swing _of things."

For a moment, Sun tried to ignore the comment, but gave up with a laugh before pulling Yang into a hug.

"That was a good one," he admitted before releasing her and raising a hand for a high five. "Come back and see us, ok?"

"I'll try," Yang replied, giving him the high five before heading towards the door. A sharp pain sliced through Blake's heart when she realized Yang might not come back because of her. Everyone wanted to see Yang again, but after what she just did…

With one foot out the door, Yang turned around and smiled. It was only then that Blake realized Yang had tears in her eyes, and that her smile wavered with sadness.

"Keep doing what you're doing, ok?" she whispered while backing through the door, still looking anywhere but at Blake. "You're amazing, and I was so, so lucky to be here."

Velvet sent Blake another look - this one more pointed than the first - but Blake couldn't move. She knew she should do something, or say something. Instead, she watched Yang close the door and disappear from their lives.

For several seconds, there was nothing but silence. No one moved, no one spoke - but Velvet still looked at Blake and silently asked far more questions that Blake was prepared to answer.

This hurt so much. Her heart screamed at her feet to move, to follow Yang, to catch up to her and apologize. To do something or say _anything_ to make this better. But her mind called the shots, and her mind was in too much turmoil to do anything.

She was a Faunus. Yang was human. Nothing would ever change that.

Before anyone tried to talk to her - because she wasn't sure she could speak without bursting into tears - she closed the door to her office and returned to her seat. While everyone else got back to work, she stared blankly at her computer screen. On that screen were multiple emails from new companies inquiring about advertisements. They wanted to know what was available, the pricing, the terms, how to sign up...they wanted to spend money putting their company name in The Vale Voice.

The Voice had finally reached a turning point. After slogging on for years, reaching lower and lower lows, they'd finally reached the bottom and found a way to turn things around. If this continued, everything pointed upward from here.

After dreaming about this moment for years, Blake found it wasn't nearly as sweet as she'd imagined. There was no happiness, no relief, no cause for celebration. Instead, it left a horrible ache in her chest that only grew stronger when her mind replayed the moment Yang figured it out - the moment Yang realized they couldn't be together.

Was it any consolation to know that Blake wasn't happy about it? Because she wasn't. She wasn't happy at all. Instead, she felt...heartbroken.


	18. Chapter 18

Fog covered the city for most of Tuesday, reflecting Blake's mood as much as the turn in the weather. In such dismal spirits, she'd skipped her morning tea, which proved to be more of a mistake the longer the day dragged on. Without it, she had no means of comfort when she walked into the office, saw Yang's empty desk, and remembered every painful detail from their conversation the day before.

For much of the morning, she half-expected Yang to walk through the door with a smile, two drinks in hand, and a joke about the miserable weather. And, with that thoughtful gesture, the realization that this was all a bad dream. That she wasn't upset, because the conversation yesterday never happened. Because Blake hadn't drawn the line at human and Faunus, and stuck with it.

But she had, so Yang was nowhere to be found. Now, no matter how hard she tried to focus on work, Yang was never far from her mind. She couldn't forget the defeated expression on Yang's face, and she couldn't escape the gnawing at her heart.

In some ways, missing Yang this much felt unfair. This was her decision, after all. Yang made it perfectly clear that she wanted them to be together. She made it perfectly clear that she didn't care about the taboo or the criticism. She made it perfectly clear that she wanted Blake - all Blake had to do was accept her in return.

She couldn't, and it was unfair to wish Yang stayed anyway. Still, Blake missed her.

Sighing for what must be the hundredth time today, she only allowed herself a glance at Yang's desk before forcing her gaze away. Yang hadn't been here long, but her absence was loud. The tenor of the office missed her voice and laughter. Without either, something felt consistently lacking.

With how busy the day had been, Blake couldn't believe the amount of times she caught herself thinking about Yang. Even though she flew through her weekly accounting, her inbox filled with work that needed to be done sooner rather than later. Prospective advertisers, current advertisers, as well as her coworkers submitting tentative outlines should have provided ample distraction. Today, however, she completed everything with the mindlessness of a robot while searching for something to _really_ distract her.

As the day wound down and her heart still ached, she knew she wouldn't find what she searched for. Work had, somehow, lost its draw and hold over her attention. She still did her best, but...her best wasn't as good today as it was every other day.

Hopefully, the feeling would go away soon. Realistically, this week would be hard. Maybe next week would be easier. Maybe _tomorrow _would be easier, although she wouldn't hold her breath as Tuesday came to a close.

Acting like everything was normal, she forced a smile and wave when Brand packed up and headed home. Velvet and Lola ducked out a few minutes later, with Victor close behind. Sun had his headphones on while working on something, but Blake relaxed slightly now that the office was mostly empty.

The worst part about today was how much her coworkers wanted to talk about Yang. Every time she opened her office door, she overheard someone talking about Yang. Every mention reopened the wound in her chest, but she couldn't escape the feeling that they _wanted_ her to acknowledge Yang. As if they wanted her to acknowledge that Yang had, in fact, worked here, and admit that she missed Yang too.

She couldn't put into words the way she missed Yang, and making an attempt might put her into tears. So no, she couldn't talk about how much she missed Yang, and how much she wished they'd ended on a better note. Instead, she did her best to bury herself in work and ignore the ache in her chest until it faded away. Who knew how long that would take, but...that was her only option at this point.

In the midst of responding to another email, she noticed Sun packing up his bag and considered doing the same. She didn't want to work anymore, although she didn't want to go home either. Going home meant another long night trying not to cry, maybe crying a little, and otherwise feeling just horrible. Staying here alone meant...more of the same.

Before she decided which was worse, Sun hurried over to her door and let himself in.

"Hey Blake!"

"Hey Sun. What's going on?"

"Not much." Making himself at home, he perched on top of the chair and grinned. "Wanna grab dinner with me? As a mini celebration of our awesome edition?"

He added a hopeful smile with the request, but she shook her head and nearly said no.

She didn't. Instead, she paused and felt a harsh dose of reality fall upon her thoughts.

She turned down Yang because Yang was human, and she couldn't date a human. But what was the point in making that distinction if she continuously rejected the Faunus who wanted to date her? If she wouldn't give Yang a chance...shouldn't she give Sun one?

"Sure," she said, only to feel immediately guilty about the answer. "That'd be nice."

"Yeah?" His smile made her feel worse, and she could only reply with a strained one of her own. "You wanna go now?" he added, hopping off the chair and motioning towards the door. "Or I can wait."

Glancing at her computer, she read the time and wished she could undo what she just did. But he looked so happy...

"Give me a few minutes?"

"You got it!" With that same smile in place, he hurried back to his desk and grabbed his phone while Blake slowly prepared to leave.

Having already accepted the invitation, she now regretted it. She knew he didn't mean 'dinner as friends,' but...how could she justify what she said to Yang if she didn't give him a chance? Besides, Sun was the type of person her mom wanted to see her with. At least it would placate those worries...

That thought didn't make her feel any better. Not as she turned off her computer and put her work away. Not while collecting her belongings and leaving her office behind. And certainly not when she glanced at Yang's desk before averting her gaze.

"Ready?" Sun asked, jumping to his feet and joining her.

Did she feel ready for this? No. Her heart protested. Her mind was a jumbled mess. But if she wouldn't do this, what was the point in sticking so harshly to her ideals?

"Ready."

"Awesome! Me too."

"Do you know where you want to go?" she asked, her gaze drawn to Yang's desk as they walked out of the office. The two of them never officially dated...yet this somehow felt like betrayal.

"I have a place in mind," Sun replied, his steps light and cheerful as they headed downstairs. "Unless there's someplace you want to go?" When he turned towards her, she shook her head. "Perfect. Because I just bribed a friend to grab us a table at this place I want to check out."

"Is it new?"

"Not new, just...special. Only worthy of taking a special girl."

When he winked at her, she turned away and focused on the buildings beside them. Any other girl would probably get butterflies from a line like that. She only felt an aching pain and growing guilt in her chest.

"Then I'm sorry you're wasting the experience on me," she replied, trying to diminish herself in his eyes. Unfortunately, he chuckled and shook his head.

"Come on, Blake. You're the most awesome girl I've ever met. More than worthy of a place like this."

Rather than argue, she let the topic fall away as they walked down increasingly unfamiliar streets. From the direction Sun led them, they left the Faunus portion of the city behind and entered a more heavily concentrated 'human' area. Blake avoided this section of town as best she could, mostly because she preferred supporting her neighborhood but also because the looks and stares grated her nerves.

Even now, several passersby gave them a second glance, probably wondering what two Faunus were doing on this side of town. They probably thought that Sun and Blake didn't belong but, fortunately, did nothing more than glance before hurrying about their lives.

The further they walked, however, the more Blake noticed how easily Sun navigated these unfamiliar streets.

"Do you come here often?" she asked, only to be surprised when he nodded.

"All the time! I like to explore how the 'other half' lives."

"But...what do you do over here?"

"Whatever I want. Check out new restaurants, get kicked out of clubs - the usual."

That sounded like a typical weekend for him, but Blake was still surprised he spent so much time over here. Though she normally didn't pay a lot of attention to _where _he partook in his shenanigans, she'd mistakenly assumed he stuck to 'their' side of town.

But he also talked about pursuing girls at most of these locations...did that mean he dated or tried to date humans? Glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, she decided not to ask. His personal decisions were none of her business, although she was curious...

"Anddd...here we are."

Sun motioned towards a restaurant Blake nearly walked past, only to stop and look at the crowd of people waiting for a table - all human.

"Come on," he added, unperturbed by the looks they received. Holding out an arm, he grinned when she reluctantly accepted it and allowed him to lead her inside.

"My friend's a busboy," he explained while holding the door. "He said he'd grab us a table. We just have to be kind of fast." When Sun looked apologetic for the inconvenience, Blake shook her head and smiled.

"That's fine with me," she assured him. If anything, a shortened timeline was better as it meant they wouldn't spend too much time here.

The moment they walked into the entryway, her nose picked up a mixture of wonderful aromas. Her stomach grumbled at the smells while she looked around the restaurant, which was appropriately fancy while maintaining a laid back vibe. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, as evidenced by the lively conversations and sporadic laughs, while well-dressed waiters and waitresses buzzed between tables.

Rather than lead them up to the hostess, however, Sun motioned Blake off to one side and fired off a quick message from his phone. Only a minute later, a raccoon Faunus in the busboy outfit hurried over and patted Sun on the back.

"What's happening?" he asked with a big smile. "I was wondering when you'd call in that favor."

"Tonight's the night," Sun replied with an equally big grin before motioning to Blake. "This is Blake. She's my boss."

The boy's eyes widened, but Blake shook her head. "I'm not really his boss..." she tried to explain, but Sun laughed and tapped the boy's arm.

"Thanks for doing this for us. Promise we'll eat super quick - no one will even notice we're here!"

"Hey, no problem. Hold on a second." Motioning for them to wait, Sun's friend went over to the hostess and grabbed two menus before hurrying back. "If you'll follow me," he said with an over-the-top bow before leading them into the restaurant. They didn't have far to go, however, as a small, two-seat table waited for them near the entrance. After setting the menus down near each silverware setting, he gently clapped his hands together.

"Enjoy your meal," he added in a posh tone before grinning and heading back to work. Sun chuckled at the grandeur before picking up a menu and meeting Blake's gaze.

"I've heard they have _awesome_ tuna if you're interested."

"I might be," she replied, even though he already knew that's what she would order. After watching her eat tuna sandwiches for years, he knew her well enough to know that.

"I'm getting something crazy like..." He quickly scanned the menu before closing it with a snap of finality. "Like the steak." Blake wrinkled her nose, which made him laugh while leaning back in his seat. "Maybe it's good!"

Before Blake responded, a waiter appeared by their side.

"Good evening," he greeted them in a low drawl. "Can I get you anything to drink?"

"Water," Sun said before nodding to Blake. "Want anything special?"

"Water too," she replied.

"And we're ready to order," Sun added before their waiter flitted away.

"Perfect. What can I get you?" Pulling out a small notepad, he flipped it open and prepared to note down their responses.

"I'll have that steak thing you have," Sun said while the waiter wrote the order down. "And she'll have the tuna." Blake nodded, and their waiter gave them a thin smile before grabbing the menus from the table.

"I'll put that right in," he added before hurrying off.

Satisfied with the speed at which dinner was moving, Blake took a few seconds and looked around the restaurant. The decor was elegant yet lowkey, with a color palette of warm yellows and whites that looked bright and cheery but also intimate. And, from what she saw on the plates of nearby tables, the food took common meals and added quite a bit of flare.

"This is a really nice place, Sun," she concluded after scanning the large dining room.

"Do you like it?"

Catching his earnest gaze, she nodded.

"It's a nice place," she repeated, albeit less assuredly this time. She couldn't say she didn't like it when that wasn't true, but she didn't want to go out of her way to praise it either. Which again, didn't make sense. If she was giving him a chance, she should _actually_ give him a chance - not just go out to dinner and continue to shoot him down.

"I like it," she added, but her guilt reared its head the moment he smiled.

"Yeah? Sweet." After running a hand through his hair, he shook his head to mess it all up again. "I mean, I've only been waiting for like _years _to take you out. Guess it pays to wait, huh?"

"I guess so…" Turning away from his exuberance, she noted the crowd of customers waiting at the front of the restaurant instead. Part of her felt bad that they cut the line while everyone else waited, but...most of her life was spent watching others cut the line in front of her. Being on the other side for once was kind of nice, although she wouldn't get used to it.

"Am I allowed to talk about work?" Sun asked, drawing her gaze before sparing a quick "thank you" to the person setting two glasses of water on the table. The reminder of work, and thus Yang, sent a knife through Blake's heart, but she smiled regardless.

"That's fine."

"Ok, good!" Suddenly excited, Sun leaned forward in his chair. "Because I have a _bunch_ of ideas."

"Do you?"

"Yeah! I know I only get two, but I was thinking about a multi-week series breaking down the challenges faced by a specific sport."

"Really?" The response was unexpected for a variety of reasons, but Blake decided to play along. "Which sport?"

"Uh, well...I don't know yet."

Blake shook her head while a small smile threatened to appear. As usual, Sun had half of the answers she wanted but didn't hesitate to put his thoughts out in the open.

"Then how will you make it a multi-week series?"

"I'm not sure about that either. But I'm sure there's enough dirt on _any_ sport to come up with a longer piece."

When he grinned, thrilled by the legitimately-brilliant idea, she narrowed her eyes.

"Did someone else mention it already?"

She knew the answer the moment he opened his mouth - someone else in the office suggested a series, and he didn't want to be left out.

"Velvet might've brought it up..." he replied with a sheepish grin. "And I thought it sounded awesome, so I wanted to do one too."

Blake shook her head but chuckled at the response. A multi-week series wasn't something they typically did, but they just changed how everything worked, so why not? Mostly, she was curious to see what Velvet's thoughts were for this particular piece. Sun would do a good job, with time, but Velvet likely had an intricate, interesting idea to go along with this new concept.

"Well, if you come up with a series that makes sense, I don't see why not."

"Yeah?"

Chuckling at his genuine surprise, she nodded.

"This whole revamp was about change, wasn't it? Writing articles that no one else writes? I don't think I've seen any Faunus serializations before."

"Me neither!" Now more excited than ever, he shook his head and beamed. "And it'll take me a while to figure it out, probably, so Velvet can run hers first."

"That sounds like a good idea." And it sounded like a way for Blake to help him work through the logistics of creating a complicated piece like he was suggesting. Serializations were uncommon for a reason - they were difficult and lengthy. But with enough time and effort, they should be able to put something together.

When he chuckled, Blake looked at him and smiled.

"What?"

"I'm going to owe you like ten more dinners," he answered. "Maybe I'll start working here as a busboy…" While he seriously considered the idea, Blake shook her head and smiled.

"Oh!" he exclaimed. "I never told you about the time I pretended to be a busboy to sneak into a restaurant."

"...why would you do that?"

"Good question!"

When he drew in a deep breath, Blake realized they were about to embark on another of his somewhat-famous, far-too-common tales of mischief. Honestly, she was surprised he'd never been arrested. Although, she didn't know for sure that he hadn't been…

Giving him a curious glance, she smiled when it looked like he told a joke and pretended to listen to the rest. This had become something of a routine between them, and partaking in something 'normal' put her more at ease.

This actually wasn't too bad. Over the years, they'd become friends, so at least their meal wouldn't be punctuated by uncomfortable silence or stilted conversation. But, while he always tried to make it something more, Blake couldn't get past friendship. Didn't everyone say it was better to start a relationship as friends? Something about building a foundation or...something.

When he laughed about something, she tried to smile but found it difficult when her heart protested.

She and Yang were friends too. She never thought that could happen but, as they got to know each other, it became undeniably true. Yang was her friend - someone she counted on, someone she liked spending time with, someone she enjoyed talking to for hours on end. That was the foundation on which those _other_ feelings grew.

With Yang, it happened quickly, easily, and naturally. So...why hadn't it happened with Sun? And if it hadn't happened yet, would it ever?

"And _that's_ when the fun started," he continued with a big grin, and Blake let him carry on without interruption. He was a great conversationalist - a great talker - but not necessarily a good listener. He jumped from topic-to-topic, which was nice in its own way. It meant she didn't have to add much to the conversation for it to continue, allowing her mind to wander through a variety of painful subjects.

When he motioned with his arms, she followed one hand towards the door of the restaurant and paused. The crowd at the front entrance had swelled in size over the past few minutes, but a flash of bright, blonde hair drew her gaze. The color looked exactly like…

The hostess led a party towards their table then, clearing a direct line of sight to the front door. And, standing just inside, was Yang.

Before Blake could look away, Yang locked eyes with her. Conflicting emotions swirled through lilac eyes, and now Blake couldn't turn away even if she wanted to. Not when she felt the same conflicting rush of sadness, sorrow, with a bit of ill-deserved happiness thrown in.

Then Yang saw Sun.

A wave of guilt crashed over Blake's heart when the connection clicked and betrayal crossed Yang's face. Yang knew. Not that it took a genius to figure out the situation, especially considering the fancy restaurant and the last conversation they had.

Just when Blake thought she'd reached a new low, life found a way to push her even lower. She could only imagine what Yang was thinking while looking at the two of them, and she deserved every negative thought directed her way.

Then the restaurant door opened, and Weiss Schnee walked inside.

Feeling a jolt of confusion, Blake tore her gaze away and watched out of the corner of her eye while Yang turned towards Weiss. They shared a few words, but Blake couldn't pick out anything over the noise of the crowd by the door. After talking for a minute and nodding several times, however, Weiss looked at Blake. Then she walked over, with Yang falling into step right behind.

Blake forced herself to focus on Sun while they approached, her heart racing while expecting the worst. A confrontation, maybe? Scolding in front of the restaurant? She wanted neither - she wanted to leave, and not think about how she could feel Yang's warm presence nearing. It was only when they stopped beside the table when Sun noticed, and his story shut off mid-sentence.

"Yang!" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet and giving Yang a quick hug. Yang returned the hug before smiling, although her smile lacked its usual shine.

"Hey Sun. How's it going?"

"Good, good." Collapsing into his seat, he glanced at Blake before returning his attention to Yang. "We missed you at work today."

Only then did Yang meet Blake's eyes, with her own displaying a hint of disbelief at what Sun said.

"Yeah," she replied anyway, keeping that hard gaze on Blake for a second longer before sliding back to Sun. "I missed you guys too."

Blake had never felt worse in her life than she did right now. But she couldn't blurt out that this wasn't what it looked like, because it _was_ what it looked like. And she couldn't explain that this ill-advised date would go nowhere without hurting Sun's feelings in front of everyone. Worst of all, she couldn't admit that she _did_ miss Yang, even if Yang didn't believe it, because that would be unfair.

Instead, she said nothing and watched the hurt and betrayal build in Yang's eyes. From kissing Yang just days ago to going out on a date with Sun...she was a horrible, horrible person.

Having stood silently by Yang's side to watch the introduction, Weiss softly cleared her throat to voice her intention to speak.

"It's nice to see you again, Blake," she said in that perfect intonation she must have learned from the rich and powerful. "Yang's told me nothing but great things about The Vale Voice."

"Oh. Thank you."

For some reason, Blake never expected such a compliment. Had Yang really given them a glowing review even after what happened? She hadn't changed her mind, issued a retraction, or thrown them under the bus? Blake wanted to look at Yang and figure out that answer but couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead, she focused on Weiss and hoped this conversation ended soon.

"She also told me about some of the things you hope to accomplish. That's definitely something Schnee Industries wants to invest in."

Yang's words from the day before immediately popped into Blake's head, and her responding smile wavered. At least she got what she wanted...

"That's...great to hear," she replied in a near whisper. With Yang staring towards the far wall of the restaurant, clearly avoiding eye contact, Blake couldn't help thinking that this wasn't at all what she'd wanted. She'd wanted The Voice to survive, yes, but...the cost was great.

"Can I stop by your office tomorrow to iron out the details?" Weiss asked, drawing Blake's gaze back to her.

"Oh, um, sure. That sounds good."

"Will noon work, or would you prefer another time?" Weiss continued, making such direct and unwavering eye contact that Blake wanted to turn away. She didn't want to have this conversation right now. She didn't want to _be_ here right now, let alone make plans for tomorrow.

"That's fine," she agreed anyway, realizing there was no way around it when Sun sat across from her.

"Perfect. I'll see you then." With those plans set, Weiss glanced at Yang before turning back to them with a radiant smile. "Sorry for interrupting your date. We just wanted to say hello before jetting out."

"But didn't you just get here?" Sun asked, not noticing Blake flinch at the word 'date.'

"We made a reservation, but I was just called back to the office." Turning away from them, Weiss gave Yang an apologetic smile while gently placing one hand on the crook of her elbow. "I hope you'll forgive me. I'll make it up to you later?"

Yang gave a weak smile and even weaker "of course," but Blake frowned at the casual gesture. And, when Weiss failed to remove her hand from Yang's arm, something hot and angry seeped into her veins.

"Thank you," Weiss replied in an earnest tone, lightly squeezing Yang's arm before letting go and turning to Blake and Sun. "It was really nice to see you," she reiterated with that same perfect smile. "I hope you two have a wonderful dinner."

"See you," Yang mumbled, not giving Blake a second glance while following Weiss towards the exit.

"See you!" Sun replied with a wave. But Blake said nothing, too busy watching Weiss take Yang by the arm and lead her away. The gesture was openly familiar and intimate, and while Blake watched, Weiss let go and slid her hand down to the small of Yang's back while they headed through the door and disappeared outside.

Jealousy seared through her at the contact, which she couldn't unsee even though they'd left the restaurant behind. That hadn't looked like a friendly escort to the door - that looked _more _than friendly.

"Wow, do you think Yang's dating Weiss Schnee? Damn, she's lucky." After a short pause, Sun shook his head and laughed. "Or Weiss is lucky. Hard to decide who's hotter..."

While he tried to figure that out, Blake clenched her jaw and tried to uncurl her fists.

_Of course_ Yang would date someone like Weiss. She was pretty enough that anyone with money and power would willingly throw it at her. Plus, she was smart, kind, and funny - any of those people would be ecstatic to have her. That wasn't what bothered Blake so much. The worst part was that Yang lied. She said that she and Weiss weren't an item, yet there they were...acting very much like an item.

Blake's anger grew stronger at the thought, only for a realization to sneak in and deflate it entirely.

Maybe they _hadn't _been together. Maybe Yang hadn't lied. Maybe she only decided to go out with Weiss after Blake turned her down.

As much as Blake wished it weren't true...somehow, she already knew it was. Yang wouldn't have lied. If she decided to turn right around and date Weiss instead, that was her decision. And, seeing as how Blake just did the same with Sun, who was she to judge?

What made it worse was that she already knew a relationship with Sun wouldn't work. There was no spark between them, and she didn't think there ever would be. They could be great friends, but she couldn't imagine anything more than that.

Yang and Weiss, however...they could be together forever. They were both beautiful, and any path they wanted to follow would be open to them. With Weiss' wealth and status, Yang would never have to worry; she would be taken care of for life.

Maybe that was the only silver lining in this situation - knowing that Yang ended up better off, after all. Because Blake couldn't provide a life like that. Certainly not now, and probably not ever.

"That's awesome though," Sun said as their food arrived, drawing Blake out of her thoughts. His eyes widened at the giant steak he'd ordered, while Blake stared at the tuna set in front of her. "We got Schnee Industries as an advertiser!" he added, reaching over and motioning for a high five. "Now _that's_ worth celebrating."

After reluctantly slapping his hand, she picked up her silverware and poked at her food.

He was right - that was worth celebrating. Then why did she feel so miserable? When they left the office earlier that night, she hadn't thought she could feel worse, yet...somehow she did.

She tried not to think about it, but her evening had just been ruined. Not even the tuna, which was some of the best she'd ever had, could save her spirit from where it lay after that unfortunate encounter. Now she had _two_ memories to cause her heart agony - two times she hurt Yang - and she wasn't proud of either.

So, even though seeing Yang with Weiss made her angry, she couldn't escape the remorse. And while Sun hopped from topic-to-topic, still energetic and excited, she couldn't offer more than short answers and tepid smiles in return.

Fortunately, due partially to her lack of participation in the conversation and also due to Sun's promise to his friend, their meal passed quickly. Before she knew it, the plates were swept away, and their waiter appeared with a smaller menu he offered to them.

"Would you be interested in dessert this evening?" he asked, and Sun looked at Blake.

"Want dessert?"

Seeing as how she'd hardly finished the tuna, dessert was out of the question.

"No, thank you. We have work tomorrow so should probably get home..."

She didn't want to sound too eager to leave but, thankfully, Sun took the hint.

"Then let's get you home!" After nodding once, he turned to the waiter. "Can we just have the check?"

And, only a few minutes later, they were on their way. Leaving the bustling restaurant behind, she found that the sun had nearly disappeared and the once-busy sidewalk had only a couple of people waiting to go in.

"I'll walk you home if that's alright?" Sun glanced at her while they headed back to 'their' side of town, asking permission with his eyes as well as his words.

"That's fine," Blake replied with a small smile. With it being late and getting darker by the minute, she understood he would protest any other answer. Besides, it was nice to have company while walking home, even though it reminded her of the time Yang had done the same.

"Thank you for dinner," she added after a few minutes in silence.

"No problem. After all the times you've helped me at work, I owe you like fifty-six more."

Blake chuckled at the exact number.

"You could start doing more work on your own, you know," she pointed out, but he laughed.

"And what's the fun in that?" After grinning at her, he leaned over and bumped her shoulder. "Besides, if I did, then we wouldn't get to hang out."

That was true and, when Blake thought about it, the only reason she knew him at all was because he talked her ear off while she edited his articles. Without those moments, she might know him only a fraction of how well she did now. Admittedly, she wouldn't say she knew him very well as it was, which was more her fault than his.

"It's a nice night," he mused, sticking his hands in his pockets and looking up at the clouds in the dark evening sky. Blake gave a soft "mhmm" of agreement but had nothing more to say. And, surprisingly, he fell quiet as well - the two of them walking in silence.

She couldn't tell if he stopped talking because he was nervous or if he finally ran out of words to say. He'd talked pretty much nonstop since they left the office, so she wouldn't be surprised if he needed a break. Unfortunately, the silence gave her time to think through the evening.

The more she thought about it, the more she regretted accepting his invitation. While a mostly enjoyable night and nice dinner, she'd opened the door for him to think it would lead to something more. With how upset she was about Yang, she couldn't fathom jumping into a relationship right now. In fact, it felt like life was telling her to _never_ pursue romance.

Regardless, leading him on or giving him false hopes wasn't right. She needed to be honest about her feelings, but delicate so as not to hurt his. The most important part, however, was telling the truth before she lost yet another friend due to her personal shortcomings.

Unfortunately, she had no idea what to say or how to say it. And they arrived at her apartment building while she was still at a loss for how to untangle herself from yet another messy situation.

"Here you are," Sun said, looking up at the building before smiling at her. "Want me to walk you up? Or are you good?"

"I'm good." When he nodded like he'd expected the answer, Blake took a step towards the door before turning around. This was another conversation she didn't want to have but, after everything that happened, she needed to be fair to him.

"Sun," she added, only to nearly back down when he gave her a curious look. After a deep breath, however, she steeled herself and continued. "Thank you for inviting me out tonight. I had a good time, but just...want to make sure we're on the same page...in terms of our...feelings."

When he didn't immediately respond, she rushed forward. "You're a great guy. Funny and considerate and fun to be around. And you're going to make an incredible girl really happy one day. It's just...I'm not interested in you in _that_ way, and I'm really sorry if I gave you the wrong impression about that."

She'd avoided saying that for such a long time, it was a relief to finally get it off her chest. If it made him feel bad, however, she would feel more horrible than she already did. Which was why she braced herself for the worst, and was more than a little confused when he chuckled and swiped a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, I kinda figured after you were too busy to go out the first twenty or so times I asked," he replied with a relaxed smile. "Thanks for telling me though. And uh, I wouldn't mind hanging out again sometime, you know? As friends. I still like spending time with you."

The response was sweeter than she deserved, but she smiled regardless.

"If we're ever not so busy at work, I'd like that," she agreed, but tilted her head when he laughed.

"You can just say 'no,' you know."

"I mean it," she insisted. "I enjoy spending time with you too. Just not...in _that_ way."

"Got it, got it." When he smiled and held out his arms for a hug, Blake actually smiled in relief. "Friends?"

"Friends," she agreed while giving him a hug. "Thanks for being so understanding."

"Naw, it's no problem." Stepping away, he waved a hand and smiled. "Sometimes it just works, you know? And sometimes it doesn't. Kudos to you for figuring that out."

The response, while accurate, filled her with memories of the last couple days, when she took something that worked and effectively threw it away. But she didn't bring that up now, not with Sun heading home and waving over his shoulder.

"See you at work!"

After waving in return, she stood outside the building for a few seconds before sighing and walking inside. Once she let herself into her apartment, she dropped her bag on the table, sank into one of the chairs, and buried her head in her hands.

She _didn't_ have it figured out. All she knew was when she didn't like someone. Apparently, it didn't work in reverse. If it did...she would have realized how much she liked Yang and could have done something to stop it sooner.

On cue, her thoughts went back to the moment Weiss' hand settled on Yang's back on the way out of the restaurant. The image was vivid in her mind, as was the combination of anger, jealousy, and sadness that came along with it. Mostly sadness, because this was her own doing.

She wished she could go back in time and redo...something. But she didn't even know which part she wanted to redo. Never contact Schnee Industries? That meant she would never meet Yang, and her heart strongly protested that idea. Never let Yang so close? But then she wouldn't have felt so connected and understood by another person for the first time in her life. Logically, she should go back and never let that first kiss happen, but...her heart rebelled against that notion, too.

Ultimately, she wished she could change something, somewhere, to make this better. She just...couldn't figure out what.

Not that it mattered at this point. She doubted Yang would ever speak to her again. So, in many respects, it was already too late. Still, she wished there was something she could do...because she would do just about anything to make this feeling go away.


	19. Chapter 19

Somehow, Blake felt even worse the next morning. After going to sleep exhausted but determined to make tomorrow better, she considered calling in sick instead. If she worked from home, she wouldn't hear her coworkers talk about Yang. She wouldn't see Yang's empty desk. She wouldn't feel Yang's absence.

But calling in sick meant that she couldn't work because of Yang, which implied deeper feelings than she dared to admit. So, despite having no energy and too many emotions, she dragged herself to the office. She even picked up a cup of tea on the way, although out of routine rather than desire. She didn't have the desire to do much of anything at the moment...

With work having taken a turn for the better, she should be ecstatic to progress even further. But, while still happy that things were looking up, her heart didn't fully feel the effects of that happiness. That's why when she got to the office, she stared at Yang's desk rather than rush straight to her computer.

Why couldn't she just be happy and move on? After fighting so long and hard to get The Voice to a position like this, the victory felt bittersweet at best. Now her motivation to do anything only came after reminding herself how important this was, how it was everything she had strived and hoped for. Even then, what she really wanted to do was sit at Yang's desk, put her head down, and cry. Or at least admit defeat to the emotions refusing to release her mind and heart.

Only the sound of footsteps broke her out of that mindset, and she stirred into motion as Sun burst through the door - first to the office for a change.

"Oh, hey Blake!" he said as soon as he saw her, flashing the same smile he always did.

"Hey, Sun. How are you?"

"Good! Got here early so I can leave early - watching the game with some friends tonight."

"That sounds fun." Although not so much to her, who only knew what happened in the sports world because she edited his articles.

"Should be."

With another grin, he headed to his desk to get to work, and she smiled in relief. At least that situation turned out well. From that short conversation, he seemed to harbor no hurt feelings towards her. On the flip side, she felt better about interacting with him now that she'd cleared the air. Without worrying about how he might misinterpret her responses, she could be more relaxed around him.

Apparently, she should have been more honest a long time ago, and that lesson didn't only apply to Sun. Now that the day had begun, however, she forced a calm demeanor to hide the turmoil raging in her heart. Today would be busy, after all, and that was without considering Weiss' visit. With that in mind, she went into her office, closed the door, and got to work.

In a continuation of last week, the drafts crossing her desk were some of the best she'd seen from her coworkers. Apparently, they'd all grown tired of writing the same old stories week after week and embraced the opportunity to break free of that mold. Velvet's articles in particular, which centered around common Faunus misconceptions and 'myths,' were a delight to read.

While Blake read through more drafts and added notes, she couldn't escape the realization that Yang had been right yet again. This wasn't just what other people wanted to read, this was what _she_ wanted to read. The articles might not tell her who won the ballgame last night, but they told richer, deeper stories hidden to much of the world. They made her want to learn more about being a Faunus, even though she would have thought she knew everything there was to know. They made her want to go out and talk to people, learn about their lives, and hear about what motivated them.

They made her proud to be a Faunus. And, as she read more drafts and uncovered thoughts she'd never considered before, she wished that she could thank Yang again. Not just for the idea, but for _not_ telling her about it first. She would have shot it down, and Yang wouldn't have mentioned it to anyone else. By telling the rest of the office first...look where they were now.

Maybe this was the universe's way of saying Blake wasn't the best judge of ideas, just like she apparently wasn't the best judge of character. She'd learned her lesson, but what use was it to her now?

Midway through the morning, the first interruption of her day occurred when Victor knocked on her door before walking in with several sheets of paper in hand.

"Several more for your review." He set them on her desk in one neat stack, unperturbed by the fact that he'd already submitted his two articles for the week.

"Thank you. I'll get to them when I can." He nodded and turned to leave when Blake caught sight of the page she just edited. "Oh, wait," she called out while picking it up and offering it to him. "Just finished this one."

From the way he scanned the page, she knew he was searching for the words she wanted to change. And she patiently waited for his argument.

"About 'verisimilar'..." he began, meeting her gaze with an earnest one of his own. "I hoped to keep that one."

"Why?"

"Because...Yang particularly enjoyed it. We had a wonderful conversation about what it means - to appear 'true' - and I thought it would be a nice homage to her time here. If she reads this week's edition, I'm certain she'll enjoy it."

Stunned by the response, Blake stared at him for a few seconds while searching for words. Victor took the silence as a bad thing, however, and hurried forward.

"I'm more than willing to remove your other suggestions," he bargained. "But I'd like to keep that one."

"Of course." She couldn't say 'no' to an explanation like that, so she nodded and attempted a lackluster smile. "I think that's a wonderful idea."

"I thought so too," he replied, glancing at the page once more before heading back to his desk.

Blake watched him go with an ever-expanding hole in her chest. Having been so focused on her own loss, she hadn't fully considered how the rest of the office felt. From how often they spoke about Yang, they missed her. Based on Victor's gesture, however, they missed her in a way Blake hadn't expected - in a way that implied reluctance to let the office return to 'normal.'

Considering how Yang's time with them began, Blake never thought the separation would be this difficult. Could she find a way to erase the void and ease their transition into Yang's permanent absence?

Her first idea was to invite Yang back sometime, but that felt impossible at the moment. Maybe after several months passed, the two of them could forge some sort of working relationship. Once Yang realized she had it better with Weiss, and Blake didn't feel quite as much sting when imagining the two together...maybe they could at least be civil. She would hope for that, if only so her coworkers could still see someone they obviously cared about.

Why did this feel so much like a messy breakup?

Sighing again, she pushed those thoughts away and replied to a few emails. Their new composition had been positively received, and messages of support or encouragement from some leading members of the Faunus community had poured in. Those messages, in particular, filled her with pride.

She'd never felt more like she was doing her part, which only made the situation with Yang seem more glaring. Could she really accept these compliments while pining after a human who couldn't be hers? But she missed Yang so fiercely...the success hardly felt worth it.

After several replies were sent, Sun's drafts arrived in her inbox. By the time she got around to printing those, however, lunch had arrived and, with it, her appointment with Weiss.

Unlike the first time, she didn't go through the trouble of printing every piece of information they had. Instead, she gathered their most recent sales numbers versus the week prior to show what an immediate success their change was. Weiss had all of the exhibits from before, if she'd gone through them, so there was no need to reinvent the wheel.

As noon approached, Blake minimized the tabs on her computer and tidied the piles of paper on her desk. She didn't want it to look disorganized but, at the same time, didn't care if Weiss thought so. Today, in general, she didn't care what Weiss thought about the office. They had played her game and proven themselves; they didn't need to do anymore, as far as Blake was concerned.

So when Velvet answered the door, Blake felt no nerves at the prospect of sitting down with Weiss. If anything, seeing Weiss walk through the door only reminded her of last night - the way Weiss touched Yang so casually, smiled at her, apologized for having to reschedule what had probably been a date of their own…

Deciding to be polite but not overly friendly, Blake walked over and extended her hand. Weiss wouldn't expect friendship from her anyway.

"Nice to see you again," she said, shaking Weiss' hand and noting the way clear, blue eyes flitted around the office before finally meeting her gaze.

"Nice to see you again, too. I hope the rest of your night went well?"

Blake's jaw clenched at the comment, which was probably well-intentioned but implied too much for her liking.

"Dinner was excellent, thank you for asking," she replied before motioning towards her office. "Follow me? I'm sure you're busy, and I don't want to take up too much of your time."

"I'm meeting someone for lunch in a half hour," Weiss commented while trailing Blake into her office and taking the same seat as last time. "But she won't be upset if I'm a little late."

Agitation shot through Blake at the response, which only fed the flames of jealousy in her heart. Sitting down and looking at Weiss, she tried to determine if that was supposed to rile her up, but it didn't appear so. Not when Weiss calmly placed her hands in her lap and met Blake's gaze.

Was Weiss meeting Yang for lunch? Dinner last night, then lunch today - how much time were they spending together? And why did Blake have to hear about it?

"I'd prefer not to make you late," she replied before grabbing the page she'd printed and sliding it across the desk. "These are the most recent reader metrics."

"That's quite a jump."

"Our revamp was well-received, and I'm hoping for even better numbers this week. Based on several new orders, they should be."

"You must be busy." Setting the page down, Weiss again met Blake's gaze without hesitation. "What with your sudden increase in...popularity."

Frowning at the comment, Blake gave Weiss a long, searching look. Was it her imagination that the statement seemed directed more towards her personal life than The Voice? Or was that just paranoia speaking?

"You're right," she agreed, deciding to let it slide. "And with the added publicity, our ad spots are filling up."

"Oh, I'm sure." Not at all bothered by the implication that Schnee Industries was no longer needed, Weiss waved one hand and smiled. "But I'm still interested in signing a sizable deal, especially after what Yang's told me."

Blake had hoped to get through this conversation without bringing up Yang, but clearly that was not meant to be.

"I'm glad she had good things to say -"

"_More_ than good," Weiss corrected. "If her assessments are to be believed, this is the best group of journalists in Vale, along with the best editor-in-chief."

Even though Weiss' words were kind, Blake didn't want to hear them. She didn't want to hear anything Yang said about her coworkers or herself. She didn't want to be reminded of Yang's kindness and acceptance when she had been the opposite. She didn't deserve that kindness, and she never had.

"That's...great," she muttered before trying to get them back on topic. "I'm glad she enjoyed her time here, but would you like to look over the ad slots we have left?"

"No need for that." Again, Weiss waved one hand as if that answered everything.

"Ok...then…"

"I'll take whatever you have left," Weiss elaborated, but that answer only caused Blake more confusion.

"When you say 'whatever's left,' you mean...?"

"I mean every open slot available." Pausing for a second, Weiss gave Blake a look that implied this shouldn't be so difficult to comprehend. "And I'd like to sign a six-month commitment."

The request was so unfathomable, Blake didn't know how to respond. That kind of money kept The Voice in circulation for much longer than the six months. But...could she give all of those spaces to Schnee Industries when other companies might come forward with requests? And, a little closer to home, could she really bear seeing the name of Yang's new girlfriend plastered all over the paper for the next six months? How could she ever move on with that daily reminder?

"I'm sorry, but I don't think we can give you all of those spaces."

This time, it was Weiss' turn to tilt her head in confusion.

"Why not?"

"That would make our issues look like a Schnee Industries publication," Blake replied, going with the best reason she could think of. "That could undermine everything we're trying to do."

"You don't want all corporate ads?" Weiss restated before nodding. "That's fine. I'll use most of the spaces for personal matters."

"Such as…?" Blake asked, curious about what someone could use newspaper advertisements for if not for business.

"Such as a couple of human-Faunus sports teams Yang's helping set up - we can run ads to garner more interest."

Receiving yet another reminder of how close Weiss and Yang were, Blake grew even more resistant to the idea of using The Voice to bring them closer. As if it wasn't bad enough that Weiss had all the money in the world to take Yang out for expensive dinners or travel around the world, now she would use The Voice to cater to Yang's interest in Faunus? She probably couldn't care less about bettering human-Faunus relations. This was probably all just a front to make Yang like her more.

The worst part was that it would work. Yang _would_ like Weiss more for making the effort.

"While I appreciate the offer, and your willingness to throw money around, I think running a couple of ads will probably be more than enough."

The response came out more clipped than Blake would have liked, which explained the way Weiss' eyes narrowed in return. Still, she stood by her decision and refused to back down. They could find other advertisers - she was reasonably confident in that. At least, confident enough to let Weiss walk away if she chose to.

"What's...going on?" she asked instead.

"Giving you those spaces would be unfair to other advertisers," Blake answered. "It shuts out potential Faunus ads."

"Do you have other companies for the spaces?"

"No, not yet -"

"Is there a cap on the number of slots a company can buy at once?"

Rather than back herself into a corner, Blake sighed and shook her head. "It's just not fair to others," she repeated. "Not everyone is fortunate enough to have bags of money they can use to get whatever or whomever they want."

As soon as the words left her mouth, she knew she said too much. That became all the more evident in the silence that followed, while Weiss looked at her with a frown and pursed lips.

"Is this...about Yang?"

While Weiss looked curious, she also looked slightly smug - and that expression made Blake agitated like nothing else.

"This has nothing to do with Yang," she retorted in a tone that only made Weiss more assured.

"Really? Then why does this feel so...confrontational?"

"This is how business works when one party demands too much."

"No, this is how business works when romantic feelings are involved."

Even more annoyed by the answer, Blake leaned back in her chair and clenched her jaw. She couldn't stand the triumphant expression on Weiss' face - like she'd won. _Of course_ she won. She had money, power, beauty, and belonged to the world's preferred race.

"So you're dating her." Blake hated the words and the feeling brewing in her chest but wasn't about to stop now. "Why would that bother me?"

She wished the response came out less combative than it did, but she couldn't stand that Weiss came here, to her office, to rub this in her face.

"Well…" Weiss began in a slow, measured tone, as if she didn't want an argument even though she'd started one. "If I were to guess, it bothers you because you have feelings for her."

Weiss watched for a reaction, which Blake refused to give. Instead, she glared across the desk and considered throwing Weiss out of her office. There wasn't time for that, however, before Weiss continued.

"It must hurt too." Again, she used that calm voice which did nothing but stoke the fire in Blake's chest. "Knowing you had the opportunity to be with her and threw it away. You don't get to your position without making professional mistakes, but I doubt you have much experience with personal ones."

"I didn't make a mistake."

"Then why are you angry?" This time, Weiss raised both hands before dropping them in exasperation. "The last time we spoke, we had an intelligent and thoughtful conversation. Now, you're intentionally trying to rile me up."

Why was Blake angry? Because Yang made her feel so _alive_ for the first time in her life. Yang made her feel _special_, as if the ears atop her head didn't matter as much as she thought they did. So to learn that she wasn't the only one…that she was so easily replaced by some human with money and standing she could never dream of..._hurt._

"Why am I angry?" she spit out, venom flowing through her veins. "I'm angry because of your games."

"Games?" For the first time since walking into the office, Weiss looked surprised.

"This was all just a game, wasn't it?" Blake reiterated, knowing she was crossing serious professional lines but not caring in the slightest. "You put a spy in our office, and I bet you had some good laughs when we all embraced her despite her race. She probably wasn't even supposed to watch how we operated - she was probably _supposed _to go after me, just so you could hang it over my head."

She didn't believe a word of it, but she was mad, and she blamed Weiss for this - for giving her Yang only to take her away.

"Are you happy now?" she added as tears stung her eyes. "Did you have your fun, watching me fall for a human?"

When her outburst ended, she felt raw, exposed, and emotionally drained. She hardly even knew what she just said - all she knew was that everything spilled out in anger. Now that the anger was gone, she was left with...sadness.

Across the desk, Weiss gave her a long, hard look before unfolding her hands and standing up.

"Yang is nothing if not genuine," she stated before unflinchingly meeting Blake's gaze. "If you actually think she behaved falsely towards you, then you didn't know her very well."

The words hurt more than anything else Weiss could have said because they were true. Blake knew that. She knew Yang's words and actions were genuine and real. It just hurt less to imagine this was all an elaborate game rather than the result of her decisions.

"I'm going to pretend this meeting never happened," Weiss added while heading to the door. "We'll reschedule when you have your personal affairs in order."

Before leaving, however, she paused and turned around.

"And for your edification, not that it's any of your business, I'm dating Yang's sister - not her."

It was the sucker punch Blake didn't need, and it forced the air from her lungs while the first tear slipped down her cheek. Quickly rubbing it away, she focused on pulling herself together rather than watch Weiss leave. When another tear appeared, she turned towards her computer so no one would notice.

She hated that Weiss made her cry. She hated that everything she said was wrong while everything Weiss said was right. Most of all, she hated that Weiss implied it was a mistake. That was the one word she refused to consider the past few days because if it was true - if this was a mistake - that meant her ideals were wrong.

But how else could she explain her worsening mood and her uncalled-for agitation towards the girl she assumed Yang was dating?

Ironically enough, she couldn't have been more wrong. The reason Yang and Weiss were so close, the reason they spent so much time together, was Ruby.

Shaking her head, Blake silently chastised herself for being so jealous while trying to focus on work. But she couldn't. Not with the torrent of emotions swirling through her. Not with the constant thought that Weiss was right - Weiss was right - and if Weiss was right, what did that make her? Who did that make her?

Grappling with that thought, she stared at the screen and pretended to read while the words failed to register in her mind. She wasn't sure how long she sat like that, but eventually someone knocked on her door. Tearing her gaze from the screen, she didn't even attempt a smile while waving Velvet inside.

"Hey Velvet," she said while Velvet sat across from her. "Do you need help with something?"

"Not particularly, but I thought you might need a break. You've been staring at your computer for a long time."

When Velvet gestured towards the computer, Blake glanced that way and sighed.

"It's just...one of those days."

She didn't want to elaborate and, thankfully, Velvet didn't ask her too.

"Will you still write an article for this week?" Velvet asked instead, but her ears drooped the moment Blake sighed.

"I don't know, Velvet...not really feeling up for it at the moment."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just...tired."

The answer was true - Blake _was_ tired. Mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted. She knew Velvet understood that, and Velvet nodded as if she did, but then she caught Blake's gaze with sad, compassionate eyes.

"That doesn't fool as many people as you think, you know."

Surprised that Velvet called out the lie - and called her a bad liar, at that - Blake tried to figure out a way to respond. She had hoped to get through this mess on her own so that no one judged her for taking so long to get over someone she never even dated. But, if the last two days were any indication, this would only get worse before it got better. Plus, Velvet was one of her closest friends, who would undoubtedly worry if this continued much longer.

"I...think I messed up," she admitted. Saying the words aloud only made them more true, and that made her feel worse.

Weiss was right.

"What do you mean?"

Sighing at the question, Blake knew she had to answer. Now that she brought it up, she had to fill Velvet in.

"I...like someone."

"That's...good, right?"

"But I can't date them," she explained, rubbing her eyes before dropping her hands to the desk.

"Why not? Do they not like you in return?"

"No, they...they did." Sensing Velvet's confusion, Blake shook her head and got to the point. "But I can't date them because...they're human."

To Blake, it felt like revealing a huge secret. She never thought she could like a human in that way, because _how_ could she like a human in that way? Humans did everything in their power to exclude her, keep her down, and remind her that she wasn't one of them - why would she ever want to date one?

Velvet, however, leaned forward as if waiting for more explanation. When none appeared, her brow furrowed and she sat back.

"Why can't you date them because of that?"

Having expected surprise or shock, now Blake only felt confused. Shouldn't Velvet be surprised that Blake liked a _human_, of all people? Shouldn't she nod in understanding and comment on how that was contrary to their goals in life?

"All this time I've preached for Faunus rights," Blake explained. "Then I turn around and date a human? I'd be a traitor to our kind. And to my word. I say Faunus should be treated equally, but it will look like I like humans more - it's hypocritical."

That was, in a nutshell, her greatest fear - being a hypocrite. So, as much as she liked Yang...

"I don't see it that way at all."

Caught off guard by the response, she looked at Velvet for clarification.

"What?"

"The way I see it, we want more Faunus rights and better Faunus livelihoods. But mostly, we want acceptance. I always thought our idea of a perfect world was one where _no one_ was judged based on their appearance."

"That's right," Blake agreed, although she didn't yet understand where Velvet was headed with this.

"In this perfect world, we fall in love not because someone is Faunus or human, but because of how they make us feel." Holding Blake's gaze, Velvet gave an almost apologetic smile. "If someone makes you happy, but you turn them down because they're human...how is that different from someone turning you down because you're Faunus? Why is one ok and the other not?"

Blake had no idea how to respond to that bit of clarity. To her, it made sense that she could only date Faunus because she was Faunus. But if a human told her they would only date other humans…that it didn't matter how much they liked her...that the ears on her head determined their compatibility more than personality did...that would _not _be ok with her.

But that's exactly what she did to Yang.

"Are you calling me on my hypocrisy, Velvet?" she sighed, realizing that's exactly what she was. In trying so hard _not _to be a hypocrite, she became one anyway. And she hurt someone she cared about in the process.

"I'm not trying to disparage you." Velvet shook her head at the notion. "I'm just pointing out that every day we ask humans to look past the ears and tails. Shouldn't we look past the lack of them in return?"

They should. Blake would tell that to any human, so why wouldn't she tell that to Faunus too? Why was it one way and not the other?

That realization hurt more than anything else. Because it was already too late. She already turned Yang down, then hurt her even more by going on a date with Sun.

"We should," Blake admitted before letting out a big sigh. "Unfortunately, I think it's already too late for that. After what I said…"

"You can always try, can't you? If not, it sounds like an apology would be nice?"

Yang deserved an apology, at the very least. She deserved much more than that, but...an apology was a start. Blake would probably feel better after giving one.

"Yes, I should apologize…" she agreed while mulling over the idea. It wouldn't be easy but...she had to. After being so determined to turn Yang down because of her faulty view of her ideals, she had to be even more determined to apologize.

How was she so blind? How had she so easily fallen guilty to the same situation she fought against? She thought she was better than that but...apparently not.

"I'll apologize," she repeated with a resolute nod before looking at Velvet. "Thank you…"

"No need to thank me. You've helped me more times than I can count, and I'm happy to do the same." After briefly pausing, Velvet smiled. "Besides, I think you two would be cute together."

Brow raising, Blake gave Velvet a look of disbelief. Had it really been that obvious? Was Blake the last one to figure out her feelings?

"Don't you have work to do?" she teased, and Velvet smiled while standing up.

"I do. I'll just...hop to it."

When Blake laughed at the joke, Velvet smiled and left. Somehow Yang made Faunus puns a thing in the office. And, surprisingly, Blake enjoyed them just as much as everyone else.

As Velvet returned to her desk, Blake looked towards Yang's old desk. Her heart still hurt, but now she knew why - because she liked Yang. She liked Yang _so _much but let her flawed views stand in the way of them being together. She didn't want people to judge her as not Faunus enough. She didn't want Faunus to think she sold them out to date a human.

She shouldn't have focused on what anyone else thought about her. She shouldn't have listened to what her ears said she could and couldn't do. She should have just...followed her heart.

She needed to apologize but first, she needed to confront one of the sources whose approval she constantly sought. So she picked up the phone, dialed home, and her mom picked up on the second ring.

"Blake, what a surprise! How are you doing?"

"I'm...pretty good," she replied with a small smile. "Work is busy."

"I'll bet. Your dad and I loved the copy you sent us. We read every article."

"Really?"

"We both enjoyed it! It was a refreshing change of pace."

That was one of the best responses Blake could have asked for, and her heart swelled with pride knowing that her parents enjoyed something she helped create.

"I'm glad you do, because we're keeping that format for the foreseeable future."

"Really? That's great news - we loved it."

The positive response confirmed one of Blake's newfound suspicions. She loved her parents, and she knew that they loved her, but...she wanted them to approve of her life, whether that meant her job or the person she decided to bring home with her.

"That's good," she replied, absentmindedly spinning a pen on the desk. Nerves popped up in her mind, but she forced them aside in favor of saying what she needed to say. Before even attempting to apologize to Yang, she had to let her parents know that she wouldn't be following the path they expected of her.

"I called because I wanted to tell you something. I...kind of met someone."

"Oh that's great, honey!"

Before her mom got too excited, Blake hurriedly added, "She's human."

"And? What's her name? What's she like?"

"...don't you care that she's a human?"

"Of course not," her mom replied with a laugh. "I'm just happy you finally found someone you like!"

That wasn't the response Blake expected. She thought there would be some kind of reaction. A drawn in breath of surprise. Asking whether she was absolutely sure. Trying to talk her out of it. Not...acceptance.

"But you've always tried to set me up with Faunus," she pointed out.

"Only because that's who you preferred, but your father and I don't care. Humans are basically different types of Faunus. Just...plain ones. Or you could think of Faunus as unique humans, I suppose…"

In disbelief, Blake shook her head and tried to hold a wave of emotion at bay. Not only was she a hypocrite, but she had projected her feelings onto her mother. She thought her mom wanted her to end up with a Faunus because that's what she'd always expected of herself, not because that's what they expected of her.

"So? Her name?"

"Her name is Yang..." The small sentence was an admission she hadn't made out loud until that moment, but she heard it loud and clear. "She's the one who started working here a little bit ago."

"Is she a writer?"

"No, she's…" Blake paused and frowned. "I'm not sure what she does," she said with a chuckle. "But she's very lively, energetic, and...wonderful."

The more she thought about Yang, the more the magnitude of her mistake grew. Yang was an amazing person - human, Faunus, or otherwise. And Blake had the chance to be with her...only to throw it away.

"She sounds perfect, honey. When will we meet her?"

"Oh, I'm not sure." Suddenly realizing she might've spoken out of turn, seeing as how she needed to earn Yang's forgiveness before anything like that could happen, she tried to downplay the announcement. Besides...she didn't know if Yang would ever forgive her. "I haven't even told her how I feel yet, so...it could be a while. Maybe not ever."

"As long as you're happy, honey. Does she make you happy?"

Thinking about the time they spent together - talking, laughing, discussing any topic that came to mind - Blake smiled.

"Yes, she does."

"Then what're you waiting for?" her mom replied with a laugh. "Go get her, Blake. Put that writing of yours to use. Write her a poem - she'll love that."

"Mommm," Blake whined, her cheeks flushing at the mere idea of doing something like that.

"I'm serious! When your father and I started dating, he wrote me the most _horrible_ poems. None of the lines rhymed, most of them didn't make sense, but I loved them regardless. I think they're still around here somewhere if you want to hear them -"

"That's really ok," Blake said before her mom rushed off to find them. "But I'll let you know if I need inspiration."

"I doubt you will." Hearing her mom's lighthearted laugh, Blake smiled. "I know what you can do when you put your mind to it, so put your mind to getting that girl of yours."

"I'll do my best." Even though her blush grew deeper, she also felt incredibly motivated to do exactly as her mom suggested. "But I need to get some work done first," she added. "Then I'll...think of something."

"Let me know how it goes," her mom replied, a smile evident in her tone.

"I will. Talk to you later."

"Good luck, Sweetie. I'm rooting for you!"

Ending the call, Blake shook her head and smiled.

That conversation made her feel better yet did nothing to diminish what an idiot she was. She put herself through this heartache because she was stubborn, foolish, and more anti-human than she ever let herself believe. She thought she was doing something good for Faunus. She thought she was doing what her parents wanted. But she was wrong on both counts.

Now, her biggest wish was that she'd figured this out sooner, preferably before hurting Yang and herself in the process. But she was determined to make it right, so she cleared her work off of her desk and pulled over a pen and blank piece of paper.

While not exactly a love poem, she could write an apology. And she would deliver it in person if she could, but first...she needed to organize her thoughts to ensure she included everything she had said and done wrong.

Unfortunately, that might take a while...


	20. Chapter 20

The rest of the workday passed in a blur, due in no small part to Blake's determination to craft the perfect apology. That goal turned out to be harder than expected, mostly because she didn't fully grasp the depths of her biases yet. She understood that she treated Yang unfairly for no reason other than being human, but she didn't know how to make that better. She could promise to try her hardest not to do something like this again, but what good did that do when she already hurt Yang's feelings?

Maybe Yang would never forgive her. Maybe things never went back to how they were, but hopefully she saw how sorry Blake was. Hopefully, she believed that Blake could change.

Based on how thoroughly this had slipped her notice, the journey ahead might be difficult. But if every journey began with a single step, her first step would be apologizing to the person she hurt the most.

Selfishly, she wanted more - not just forgiveness, but a second chance. No matter how many times she told herself not to get her hopes up, she couldn't help herself. She missed Yang that much and wished that badly to prove she was capable of change. In TV shows and movies, characters made mistakes like this all the time; they were always forgiven after an apology or grand gesture begging for forgiveness. Reality probably wouldn't be so kind, but…

She was an idiot. She could _already_ be with Yang. They could be talking right now, or have plans for dinner tonight. Instead, she faced a future where their relationship would never be what it once was - all because Yang didn't fit Blake's flawed vision of her life.

For the entire afternoon, she thought about the moment when Yang made her wants and intentions clear. Now that Blake understood the source of her hesitation, would she go back and accept those invitations for lunch, dinner, and everything in between?

She would love to.

That didn't mean she had suddenly been cured; the idea of forming a legitimate relationship with Yang still made her nervous. A majority of those nerves, however, had more to do with her hesitancy to be that close to _anyone_, not Yang in particular.

Tapping a pen against her desk, lost in thought, she only realized how late it was when her coworkers began leaving for the day. A glance at the clock confirmed that her time was up. Unless she wanted to wait for tomorrow, which she didn't, whatever she had written so far was what she had to go with.

After folding the pages and sticking them in her pocket, she slowly gathered her things and gave herself a last-minute pep talk. She had to do this. The alternative was potentially losing Yang for good, and that thought was...unbearable.

It wasn't until her bag was packed that she realized the problem with her plan - she had no idea where Yang lived. She had Yang's number so could message or call and ask to meet, but part of her worried Yang would ignore the attempt or worse - say that she had no interest in talking.

Without Yang's address, however, Blake couldn't present her apology. She would have to figure out where Yang lived first, which she was sure she could do...but it would take time.

Spotting Velvet getting ready to leave, Blake hurried out of her office in hopes of finding a solution.

"Hey Velvet. Do you have a second?"

"Sure, what do you need?"

She needed to talk to Yang today. But if Velvet didn't have an answer, this mission would be set back a few steps.

"Any chance you know where Yang lives?"

"Her address should be on the employee information sheet she filled out."

"We have an employee information sheet?" Blake asked, her surprise growing as Velvet knelt by her desk and dug through some files.

"Yes." After finding what she was looking for, Velvet stood and handed Blake a folder with Yang's name printed on the tab. "I was curious, so made one and had her fill it out her first day."

"And people say I'm the cat…" Blake mumbled, flipping open the folder and looking at the single page inside. It was covered in Yang's handwriting, the familiarity alone filling her chest with butterflies and longing. She wished she had gotten to know Yang well enough that she already knew the answers to these questions, but...maybe there was still hope for that.

"Does this mean you're going to see her?"

Faced with Velvet's subtly-hopeful expression, Blake didn't know how to respond. Honestly, she hadn't expected Velvet to have Yang's address handy. Now that she had that critical piece of information, she didn't have a good reason not to go.

"I'm thinking about it," she admitted.

"Do you need an excuse?"

Blake nearly shook her head but stopped and eyed Velvet curiously.

"Do you have one?"

"I might." Velvet's smile grew as she searched through the desk drawers and eventually pulled out an envelope with a stack of photographs inside. "She asked for copies of these, but I forgot to give them to her before she left. Maybe you can do me a favor and get them to her?"

When Velvet extended the envelope, her eyes said she knew she just made it impossible for Blake to back out. She wanted to see Yang, she needed to apologize, and now one of her best friends asked her for a favor.

"You know I will," she grumbled, swiping the envelope from Velvet's hands and lifting the flap to see the photos inside. Immediately greeted by the picture of her and Yang at the party - the two of them leaning close while smiling - she closed the envelope and shook her head.

"I don't know..."

"She said she wanted them," Velvet reiterated. "And she's never told me any differently."

Glancing at the envelope, Blake thought of all the ways her life had changed since that party. Chances were, Yang didn't want these photos anymore. At least, not the ones of her and Blake. But if she asked for them, and Velvet felt obligated to deliver them…

"Ok." Trying to mask her nerves, Blake nodded and attended a smile. "I'll get them to her."

When Velvet's eyes narrowed, Blake added, "I'll _personally_ hand them to her, ok?"

"Good." Finally, Velvet smiled. "I think that's the best way to go about it."

The response had nothing to do with delivering some photographs, and Blake heard the advice loud and clear.

"I know. And I'll make it over there - promise."

"I believe you," Velvet replied, gently patting Blake's shoulder before heading towards the door.

"Any last advice?" Blake called after her. With her hand on the door handle, Velvet paused and considered the question before responding.

"We all make mistakes, Blake."

With those simple words, Velvet gave one last smile before ducking through the door and heading home for the night.

Left alone in the office, Blake sighed and looked at the envelope in her hand. She understood that everyone made mistakes, but what Weiss said yesterday was right - _she_ wasn't used to making mistakes. If something like this ever happened, she always felt assured blaming the other party and moving on. In this case, she couldn't find a way to blame Yang at all.

This was her fault. She messed up. She wasn't as accepting as she thought herself to be, but she knew that now. She knew it, and she could apologize for it. Ultimately, it might not make a difference, but...at least she could try.

After one last look around the office, she decided it was time to leave. So, with the envelope of photographs stuffed safely in her bag, she memorized Yang's address and headed out the door without pause. Now that she had a direction, she would see this through to the end.

Outside the building, she stopped only long enough to look up directions to Yang's home. The address was unfamiliar because Yang lived in one of the 'human' sides of town that Blake rarely frequented, but she hardly spared a second thought on that before setting off at a quick walk.

While the blocks passed beneath her feet, thoughts flew through her mind. Worst case scenarios, best case scenarios, unlikely and most likely scenarios all popped into her head only to immediately give way to the next.

What if Yang wasn't there? Should she wait or try again another day?

What if Yang wouldn't talk to her? What if she opened the door only to slam it in Blake's face? Should she try to apologize through a closed door or take the hint and give up?

As those thoughts and more flitted through her mind, she hurried across unfamiliar streets into an unfamiliar part of town. She earned several glances on the way but paid the onlookers no mind; there wasn't time to be annoyed or irritated. Besides, now that she thought about it, didn't she do the same when a human wandered into her neighborhood?

This episode was a giant, humbling experience, and she had a feeling the conversation to come would be even more so. But she wouldn't shy away from it - she would embrace it as an opportunity to get better, just like she'd wished humans would do.

Pausing at the next intersection, she read the street names before double-checking her directions and crossing. As she grew closer to Yang's address, her nerves doubled, then tripled, in intensity.

She didn't want to do this. Quite frankly, it was horrible to realize she'd been so far off base. In any other situation, with any other person, she might just write it off as a lesson learned and move on. But she couldn't have done this to a kinder person, so she couldn't just move on. Most importantly, she didn't want to lose Yang. If there was any chance of salvaging their relationship, even just a shred of it, she would do whatever it took, no matter how humbling.

So when she turned onto the street bearing the same name as the address Yang wrote down, she didn't hesitate. Not when she looked up at the tall, well-maintained apartment buildings. Not when she passed a small neighborhood market and several local restaurants. She didn't stop until she reached Yang's address - a ten-or-so story, beige apartment building with a lobby on the first floor.

She'd never wondered where Yang lived, but this seemed fitting. A lively neighborhood in a nice but not too nice part of town, where the residents seemed younger in age or lifestyle, with ample public transportation nearby.

Taking a deep breath, Blake walked into the lobby and paused to look around. Two elevators lay directly in front of her, with a staircase beside them. Mailboxes covered the wall on her left, notices and other news covered the right. Her eyes stuck on that side of the room, however, when she spotted a stack of papers she would know anywhere.

Someone had left copies of The Vale Voice on the table in the lobby, with a small sign offering a succinct and encouraging "Check this out!" Even if she hadn't recognized the handwriting, Blake only needed one guess to name who would do something like this.

Knowing that Yang left the copies here, even after what happened, gave Blake a small amount of hope as she hurried into the stairwell and headed up to the third floor.

Yang saw that stack of papers every time she passed through the lobby. Every time she left for the day or came home for the evening, she received a stark reminder of what happened. Yet she hadn't moved them. She left them there, right where she would see them along with everyone else.

She might be angry at Blake, but she still supported them and the work they did. That unwavering support made the last two days seem even more ridiculous. Blake had always hoped for someone to support her dreams, then she found that person and decided they _had _to be Faunus too.

_Why?_ Why did they have to be Faunus? Did she honestly believe a Faunus could support her more than Yang had so far? Did she honestly think that being Faunus made someone more capable of listening to her or understanding her?

As the stack of papers in the lobby showed, Yang supported _who_ she was, not what she was. Now it was time she did the same.

Exiting the stairwell on the third floor, she glanced at the nearest door before continuing down the hall. Her heart rate crept up as the numbers climbed higher, and she struggled to remember the words she spent all afternoon perfecting. She had the draft with her but, now that she was here, felt too impatient to commit it to memory.

Stopping in front of Yang's door, which she checked and double-checked first, she searched for her last shred of confidence and steeled herself for what was to come. More important than her goals - what she wanted to accomplish, what she wanted to reclaim - was being honest and genuine. Admitting her failures and shortcomings without hesitation. Opening up about herself more than she'd ever done before. Yang deserved that from her, and she was determined to give it.

After a brief hesitation, she took a deep breath and knocked twice. She immediately hoped Yang wasn't home, but the footsteps approaching the door dashed that foolish wish to pieces. Another few seconds passed, the footsteps grew closer, and she took one last deep breath as the handle turned and the door swung inward.

Just like that, she found herself face-to-face with Yang.

"Hi," she managed to say, although she hardly heard her voice over the beating of her heart. They hadn't been apart for long, but she had forgotten how incredibly gorgeous Yang was. Her eyes, her hair, her lips...everything about her made Blake regret her mistake even more.

From the expression on Yang's face, however, Blake was the last person she'd expected to find standing in the hall. And, as Blake watched, a rush of emotions passed through lilac eyes, none of them very positive.

But she wouldn't be deterred. Not until she apologized.

"Can I come in?" she asked, gently motioning into the apartment and bracing herself for the moment Yang shut the door.

Instead, Yang glanced over her shoulder before offering a soft "sure" and leaving Blake standing in the hall. While not exactly the warmest of invitations, it also wasn't the worst that could have happened, which she would mark as a win.

With permission granted, she walked inside and closed the door behind her while surveying her new surroundings. The apartment was arranged in an open living space, with the kitchen directly ahead and the living room to the left. A hallway on the right suggested bedrooms in that direction, although it was hard to tell how many from here.

Overall, the apartment was decently-sized but not overly large. It was also fairly clean, although several areas suggested cleanliness wasn't a top priority, such as the magazines strewn across the coffee table or the stack of movies beside the television.

What Blake noticed most, however, was that everything smelled like Yang. The familiarity made her ache for the closeness they once had, which Yang seemed content upon forgetting as she walked into the kitchen and leaned against the countertop. With the dining table effectively acting as a barrier between them, Blake stopped on the opposite side and rested a hand on the back of a chair.

"So...what's up?" Yang asked, crossing her arms and giving a quick shrug suggesting they were just friends catching up.

"Velvet asked me to bring these to you." Removing the envelope from her bag, Blake held it towards Yang for a second before realizing Yang wasn't going to take it. She set it on the table instead, and gently pushed it forward before leaving it be. "She said you asked for copies…"

"You could've mailed them."

"I know, but I...thought it would be best to deliver them in person." Blake paused and searched for any softening in Yang's eyes, but continued when she found nothing. "And I just wanted to check and see...how you've been?"

"Pretty good, I guess." Again, Yang shrugged as if this conversation was no big deal. "Weiss proposed to Ruby last night."

"Really? That's good, I'm guessing?"

"Of course. And Ruby said yes, so Weiss whisked her off to Vacuo to celebrate."

The news made Blake feel even more foolish. Weiss and Yang weren't an item - Weiss was going to be Yang's sister-in-law. All of that jealousy and resentment had been pointless.

"That's great," she replied with a small smile. "I'm happy for them."

"Yeah, me too."

When they lapsed into silence, Blake realized that she had taken for granted how easy Yang was to talk to. Now, strained small talk replaced their comfortable banter, and Yang looked disinterested in even that much. If anything, it looked like she preferred for Blake to leave sooner rather than later, which only made the magnitude of her mistake shine brighter.

"Everyone at the office misses you," she added, searching for something to spark a real conversation. "About every hour, Sun says how much he wishes you still worked with us."

"That's nice of him. I enjoyed my time there too."

Blake hesitantly met Yang's eyes before glancing away, unwilling to stare into the unnervingly steeled gaze for too long.

"Victor is complaining that no one appreciates his intelligence anymore," she continued. "And even Brand -"

"Blake."

Her rambling stopped, and she turned back to Yang, who shrugged without uncrossing her arms.

"Why are you here?"

The direct question implied Blake had worn out her welcome, and she needed to get to the point sooner rather than later.

"I...wanted to apologize."

"Oh. Well, apology accepted."

From the way Yang's demeanor remained unchanged, she wasn't moved or accepting of the idea. But she didn't have to be - Blake hadn't even apologized yet. If she said what she wanted to say and Yang still didn't want to forgive her, then...at least she tried.

Unfortunately, she couldn't remember much of the outline she had prepared at work, but she remembered the pain in her chest quite clearly, especially with Yang's unrelenting gaze boring into her and the distance between them feeling much further than just one dining table. She remembered the heartbreak, and now she understood why she felt this way - she just had to explain it.

"You have every right to be mad at me," she finally said, her hands gripping the back of the chair while forcing herself not to look away from Yang's eyes. "I haven't given you a fair chance since the day you walked into the office."

When Yang merely stared back at her, still offering no response, Blake sighed and hung her head.

"It's not easy to admit...that you're as guilty as the people you fight against..." she whispered towards the lines of wood in the table.

The moment Yang uncrossed her arms, relief rushed through Blake's veins. That gesture, no matter how small, spurred her forward. Suddenly, words rushed from her mouth almost as fast as she thought them.

"I'm an idiot. I judged you the minute you stepped through the door. I thought you were nothing more than a pretty face who would do more harm than good."

"Wow. That's...brutally honest, but ok."

Encouraged by the response - by _any _response - Blake released her hold on the chair and took one step towards Yang before stopping.

"I thought you'd stick around for a couple days then leave. I never thought we could be friends. I never thought that I'd _enjoy_ spending time with you. That I could talk to you about my life and my feelings. But then, after the party, I..."

As she trailed off, she felt like burying her face in her hands from the regret associated with that moment. Now, she understood that she didn't regret what happened - not at all. She regretted her response to it.

"I never thought that was possible," she admitted. "And that scared me. It scared me so much, I ignored how much I liked you. All I could think about was that you weren't Faunus, and how could I - someone who always fought for Faunus - be with someone who wasn't? What would everyone think?"

As remorse and sadness seeped into her tone, she sighed and shook her head. But Yang straightened away from the counter and took a small step forward. It wasn't enough to close the distance between them, but it was progress.

"I've never thought that those -" Yang waved towards Blake's ears. "Should decide whether or not I like someone. What about personality? Morals? Those are more important."

Blake wholeheartedly agreed with the statement, which further hammered home how misguided she had been. Yang needed to know that. Even though Blake shied away from pointing out her flaws, Yang needed to know that she was aware of them now.

"Every day I preach acceptance, but you're more accepting than I am." With another sigh, she looked down and motioned towards her ears. "These things...they've defined me since the day I was born. They told me who I could be friends with. Where I could go to school. How successful I could be. How much money I'd make."

Saying the words aloud felt like pressing a weight on top of her lungs, making her struggle for air as the first tears stung at her eyes.

"Then they told me who I could be with," she said, meeting Yang's gaze while her apology finally appeared. "And I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry that I listened."

Sucking in a deep breath, she tried to hold the tears at bay while emotions crowded her heart. She had so much more to say - so much frustration to vent at herself - but held her tongue when Yang took another half-step forward.

"Well...what are they saying now?"

"Screw what they're saying," Blake spit out, wiping away a tear while holding Yang's gaze. "I'm so tired of listening to them. I'm tired of being trapped because they say I am. And I won't let them stand in the way of someone who makes me feel so special, and cared for, and...happy."

The words had an impact, and Yang gave a small smile before taking another step closer.

"Then what are _you_ saying?"

"I'm saying…" Thinking about the question, Blake knew that this was her moment to ask. Most importantly, she knew she _wanted_ to ask, and she knew what she wanted the answer to be. "I have no right to ask this, but...is there any way we can try again?"

"Start over?" Yang asked while scooting a few inches closer, but then she laughed and shook her head. "I don't want to do that."

The single sentence crushed Blake's heart.

"You...don't?"

The tears began their resurgence, but Yang took the last step forward and gently touched Blake's hand.

"I don't want to go back to thinking, 'wow, I don't think this girl likes me,'" Yang said, her eyes regaining a sparkle that lifted Blake's spirit in turn.

"Then what now...?" Blake asked in a hushed whisper, turning her hand over so Yang could trace a finger across her palm. The small touch was electrifying and entrancing, holding her in place while her hopes returned.

"I don't want to start over," Yang repeated, letting a small smile pull at her lips before she intertwined their fingers. "I want to start right here."

Just when Blake thought the response couldn't make her happier, Yang leaned forward and kissed her. With that simple gesture, she knew she was forgiven. Not only forgiven, but still had the chance to be with Yang like this. Even after what she did, how stupid and stubborn she was, Yang was willing to give her a second chance - and she was going to make the most of it.

Yang might have ended the kiss sooner, but the moment their lips parted Blake pressed closer. Fortunately, Yang understood the silent request and voiced her approval with a soft hum.

Relief swelled like a bubble in Blake's chest before popping with a burst of passion. She let go of her fears and focused on what mattered - the tingles on her skin as Yang's hand crawled over her. How, as soon as one kiss ended, they started another. How she loved the way Yang smelled, and tasted, and made her feel more special than anyone else ever had.

While lost in a friendly battle with Yang's lips, Blake felt Yang's hand sliding through her hair, moving towards her ears. Her chest filled with anticipation as Yang drew closer, waiting for the connection to happen. When Yang paused, however, a soft noise of discontent slipped through Blake's lips. Taking the sound as permission to continue, Yang slid her hand up to Blake's feline ears and gently - so very gently - ran her hand across one.

In this moment, when Blake was already over-the-moon happy from their kisses alone, the sensation sent sparks of pleasure down her spine while a low moan slipped out. She felt Yang's lips curl into a smile before her hand moved again, more assuredly this time but with the same effect.

While Yang's fingers lightly stroked her ears, she nearly lost herself to the bliss. But, sensing the rapid trajectory this make-up kiss was headed, she found the wherewithal to pull away and pressed a hand against Yang's chest to prevent pursuit. Her breaths were heavy and her mind still a fog, but she clearly saw the delight in Yang's eyes.

"You're, uh -" Clearing her throat and brushing a hand across her lips, Blake tried to say something witty. "Really good at that," was all she came up with, which only increased Yang's delight.

"You become like...putty in my hands," Yang replied with a huge grin. "I can't even explain it, but it's so hot."

That response only fanned the flames of embarrassment in Blake's cheeks. She didn't know if she enjoyed being 'putty' in someone's hands, but she had to admit that's what it felt like. And if anyone was going to have this effect on her...she was glad it was Yang.

Still, she had _some_ pride. So, after clearing her throat once more, she changed the subject.

"Thank you," she said, running her fingers through Yang's hair and rejoicing in their proximity. She had missed this so much...more than she could ever describe. "For forgiving me."

When Yang laughed, however, Blake lifted a brow in confusion.

"I don't think I said I forgave you yet," Yang said, though her eyes gave away the tease. "But I _will_...if you go on a date with me tonight."

That was music to Blake's ears, but she tried to play it off as something she had to think about before nodding and giving a succinct "Done."

"And if you let me kiss you like that again," Yang added, clearly realizing she had Blake in a position where 'no' wasn't an option. "Sometime soon."

"I'm amenable to that…"

'Amendable' hardly captured how much Blake wanted another kiss like that. More than one - she could use a lifetime of kisses like that.

"And if you wash all my clothes so they smell like you."

"Yang…"

Blake's blush doubled in a heartbeat, but Yang squeezed her hands and smiled.

"Too far?" Yang asked before answering her own question with a nod. "But we can still go on a date, right?"

"Absolutely. Oh -"

_Of course_ work popped into Blake's head now, of all times, after she'd struggled to concentrate for the last couple of days.

"What?" Resting her hands on Blake's hips, Yang smiled for a few seconds before her expression fell. "Oh, you're not like, actually dating Sun now, are you?"

"What? Of course not! We only went to dinner and -" Trailing off before launching into a full defense, Blake tilted her head when Yang started laughing.

"I know," she explained with a smile. "I'm just messing with you."

"Oh." While relieved that it wasn't an issue, Blake gave Yang an inquisitive look. "How do you know?"

"He messaged me." When Blake's eyes widened, Yang shrugged and dropped her gaze to her hands. With fondness and affection in her eyes, she watched her hands slide up Blake's sides, sending rounds of shivers down Blake's spine before she finally looked up and smiled. "Said he didn't want me to get the wrong idea."

For the life of her, Blake didn't know how to respond to that. Why would Sun do that? Unless he knew they had feelings for each other...but then why ask Blake out in the first place? Except he never called it a date...she assumed it was. Maybe he only wanted to help take her mind off of things. In which case...she owed him another apology.

"It's not like that with him," she said, needing to get that off of her chest as much as she needed Yang to hear it. "He's always been nothing more than a friend - nothing more than a close coworker. I've never felt for him a fraction of what I feel for you."

Blake knew that the response worked when Yang pressed a quick kiss to her lips before backing away with a smile.

"You know...I wasn't worried, but now I feel really special."

"Good."

Knowing that she made Yang feel special filled her chest with a warm, happy sensation. Equal parts fulfillment and compelling desire to do it again, she smiled and decided that she would - she would go out of her way to make Yang feel special time and time again.

"Sorry," Yang said, sliding her arms around Blake's back and pulling them together in a way that scrambled Blake's thoughts. "I distracted you. What were you going to say?"

Remembering anything was difficult in this position, as all Blake could think about was Yang's body heat merging with her own. Her thoughts went much further than just standing here enjoying each other's company, but she shook her head and tried to recall her prior thought. Yang mentioned going on a date tonight, and -

"Oh. Before we go to dinner, I need to write a draft for this week."

As soon as the words sunk in, Yang's smile grew bigger.

"Yeah?" she asked, her excitement making Blake feel even more modest. "You're writing something this week?"

"I wasn't planning on it, but...I think I might."

She told Velvet she didn't feel like it, but that was before patching up things with Yang. Now, thousands of words begged to come out, all of them revolving around the lesson she just learned about herself.

"It won't take long," she added when she realized this would delay their date. "It's just an opinion piece, and I have an idea."

"You need to go back to the office then?"

"Maybe I can write here?" Looking around the unfamiliar apartment, Blake didn't feel at all opposed to the idea. If anything, she was more opposed to the thought of leaving Yang anytime soon. "I think you'll be good...inspiration."

"Are you asking to spend the night?" Yang joked, her smile widening when Blake shook her head.

"I wouldn't go that far," she teased. "But maybe I can borrow a computer? And maybe you can stay nearby?"

"Definitely."

Blake silently protested the moment Yang stepped away, but she wasn't gone long. After grabbing a laptop from a table in the living room, she returned and set it on the dining table.

"Will this work?" she asked, powering on the device and entering her password. Once it started up, she stepped out of the way and motioned to the chair.

"You sure there's nothing on here you don't want me to see?" Blake joked while sitting down.

"Maybe there's stuff on there I _want_ you to find."

When Yang winked, Blake let out an amused huff before opening the word processor. Honestly, she wished she hadn't decided to write an article at all because she would rather stand there with Yang all night. But it wouldn't take long, and she wanted to get these words out of her head before forgetting them.

"Will you judge me if I read a magazine?" Yang asked, grabbing one from the coffee table and holding it up for Blake to see.

"Of course not. I'm sure you've already read the daily papers front-to-back."

"Y-yeah, totally."

Blake laughed at the obvious lie, and Yang joined in while sitting down at the dining table. That's when she noticed the envelope of pictures and pulled them over in lieu of the magazine.

While Yang flipped through those with a little smile never leaving her lips, Blake wrote down her thoughts as fast as possible. An opinion piece didn't need to be long, but she wouldn't have many words to present a thorough argument. Conciseness made or broke articles like this, but she couldn't be concise right now. Instead, she dumped every thought she had onto the screen with the intent of parsing through it later.

Whenever the stream of words trailed off, she looked at Yang. And, somehow, Yang always caught her gaze and smiled.

"We can start our date after, right?" Yang asked after the third or fourth time.

"Absolutely," Blake agreed while words flew from her mind to the screen. It felt so good to be writing again. Not just writing for the sake of writing, but writing about something important to her. Fitting The Vale Voice's new theme was only a bonus.

"And if it's too late by then, our date can involve a bed, right?"

Blake's fingers stopped, and she flushed when the words sunk in.

"Um -"

"As in, I'll walk you home?" Yang clarified, but her grin gave away that she just baited Blake into a blush. "Unless you had other ideas…"

While Blake hadn't had other ideas before, she certainly had them now. And she couldn't stop having them as she turned back to the screen and tried to pick up where she left off. _Tried_ being the operative word, as Yang had, with a single question, derailed any train of thought. With a nearly complete outline, however, she had time to be derailed for now. And the rest of the night.

"Ok, I'm done," she said, quickly sending the draft to herself before shutting the computer and giving Yang her full attention. "What do you want to do for our...date?"

The idea of going on a date with Yang filled her with happiness and disbelief - and that was before leaving the apartment. She could only imagine what it would feel like to be on that date, sharing those moments, openly admitting their feelings, being together…

"This will sound selfish," Yang replied, scooting closer and hesitantly picking up one of Blake's hands. "But can we stay here and kiss?"

The request filled Blake's chest with butterflies, but she tried not to let on as much. The last thing she needed was to give Yang the _complete_ upperhand so early in the night.

"If that's what you want…" she hedged, and silently rejoiced when Yang set a hand on her thigh. "Are you really going to pass up dinner for that?"

"I'd pass up multiple dinners. But we can order takeout if we get hungry."

It sounded too good to be true. And it sounded exactly like something Blake wanted to do. Save going out in public for another day - they would have many of them. Tonight was just about the two of them.

"That sounds like a nice night," she agreed. Yang's smile only made her more assured in the answer, and her heart sped up when Yang took her by the hand, gently pulled her to her feet, and led them into the living room.

They sat side-by-side on the sofa, and Blake knew Yang would sit closer if she thought it was allowed. Considering Blake still had a lot of atoning to do, it was allowed. Pretty much anything was allowed right now, although she would never tell Yang that in as many words. Instead, she scooted closer, and Yang responded by moving over until their legs touched.

"You realize this is the first time we've been alone together?"

Laughing at that statement, Blake reached over and brushed her hand through Yang's hair. The casually intimate gestures felt strange to her but also...right. And the more Yang let her do them, the more encouraged she felt to continue.

"You realize that's not at all correct?"

"We've been alone in the office before, but...this is the first time we've been alone somewhere...private."

When Blake caught Yang's drift, her cheeks heated up yet again. Even though the statement still wasn't entirely true, this was the first time they'd been alone somewhere they wouldn't be interrupted. That knowledge did nothing to slow the beating of her heart.

"I suppose you're right," she agreed. She also didn't feel like arguing details right now. Really, she just wanted to enjoy and embrace every bit of familiarity, and rejoice in the fact that Yang decided she was worthy of forgiveness. After the things she said…

"Oh..." she sighed when she remembered yet another unfortunate recent memory. "I need to apologize to Weiss now..."

"Why? Did you say you wouldn't date her either?"

"No, but I didn't treat her very nicely the other day..."

"Why not?" Yang leaned her cheek into Blake's palm with the question, and Blake felt her adoration and affection grow.

"Because I thought you were dating her," she admitted.

"What? Why would you think that?"

"Why _wouldn't_ I think that?" Blake replied, giving Yang a look that made her brow momentarily furrow.

"Oh." Finally figuring it out, Yang chuckled and tapped her fingers on Blake's thigh. "I guess she was a little possessive last night. I told her what happened, and she's not above meddling in people's affairs..."

"Then you're not dating," Blake replied, searching Yang's eyes for an answer. "Although that might be awkward since she's engaged to your sister…"

She couldn't hold a straight face for long, and smiled as soon as Yang laughed.

"That _would _be," she said with several nods before reaching out for Blake's hand. "And no. Weiss and I are just friends, but we spend a lot of time together because of Ruby."

"And she sends you on trips," Blake pointed out when she remembered the story from the night of the party. Yang, however, laughed again.

"She did that because she wanted my permission to ask Ruby to marry her. Then last night, we had dinner so she could tell me her plan for popping the question."

That knowledge made Blake's jealousy even more embarrassing. Everything had an explanation, and none of those explanations were close to the ones she came up with.

"God, I'm so sorry…"

When she hung her head, Yang chuckled and pulled her close. She turned her cheek and settled into the hug, which was more assuring that anything Yang had said or done so far. Through that feeling of closeness, intimacy, and affection, Blake sighed and snuggled closer.

"You keep saying that," Yang whispered to her. "But you don't need to. I've already forgiven you."

"Really?"

"Absolutely," Yang replied with a soft laugh. "Definitely helps when you rush over all frazzled and distressed and apologetic."

Blake huffed and playfully pulled away from the embrace, only to regret it and move right back.

"I was _not_ frazzled," she still insisted, which only made Yang laugh. "But I was apologetic. And a little distressed…I thought you would never forgive me."

"What can I say…" Gently backing away, Yang brushed a strand of hair behind Blake's ear and smiled. "I'm a sucker for a pretty face and a good apology."

"I'll make it up to you," Blake replied without thinking about it. "I can't promise that I'll be perfect from here on out, but...I know I want to be with you, even if it might be strange or uncomfortable for me sometimes. But I'm going to work on that, I promise."

Rubbing her thumb across Blake's shoulder, with her eyes shining with warmth and happiness, Yang nodded.

"You know, with anyone else I might be worried but...I've seen how hard you work." Sliding her hand down Blake's arm to take her hand, Yang smiled and intertwined their fingers. "And I know this will be new to you, and probably uncomfortable, and maybe you won't even want to be with me in public in _that _way, but as long as you want to be with me at all -"

"I do," Blake interrupted, sensing her moment to add to her reassurance. "I really do. The other stuff might take some time to get used to, but...I like you, and I want to be with you. I'll tell you that anytime you need to hear it."

When Yang smiled, Blake realized that she wouldn't say it only when Yang needed to hear it. Even though it wasn't what she was used to, she would find ways to assure Yang of her feelings every single day, be it through words or actions.

"So I was wondering…" Yang replied, another smile growing while she ran her free hand through Blake's hair. "If I wanted to come back and help you guys..."

"Absolutely," Blake said without hesitation. When Yang's brow rose at the quick response, she smiled and nodded. "You're more than welcome."

Yang's smile only made Blake more assured in that decision, which was one of the easiest she'd ever made. "Everyone will be happy to see you again," she added.

"I'll be happy to see them too. But mostly I just want to spend more time with you."

When Yang leaned closer, another blush heated Blake's cheeks.

"Starting now?" she asked, feeling breathless even though Yang hadn't kissed her yet.

"Yes, I think we should start our date now."

Yang winked before pressing a quick kiss to Blake's lips. The sensation was fleeting, as she pulled away and tapped a finger to her chin before smiling.

"You know...I think I forget more and more with every kiss."

This time, Blake kissed Yang, pulling her forward by the front of her shirt and capturing her lips in a much more satisfying kiss.

"Then let's see if I can make you forget…" she mumbled against Yang's lips while Yang hummed with pleasure and pressed forward.

In the back of Blake's mind, however, she knew she wouldn't forget. The lesson she learned, and the way she learned it, ensured she wouldn't. She would always fight for Faunus rights. She would always try to make life better for those like her, but she wouldn't assume that only Faunus could help her. Faunus weren't her only allies. Faunus weren't her only friends.

After spending her entire life focused on only one segment of the population, the lesson Yang taught her was remarkable, freeing, and encouraging like nothing else. She wasn't alone. She had support. And, if she was willing to accept it, she had far more support than she had ever imagined.

All she had to be was more accepting, more tolerant, and blind to the ears and tails - or lack of them.


	21. Chapter 21

Even though she was running late, Blake stopped for her morning tea. These days, it was more of a luxury than a necessity, but she enjoyed the warm beverage whenever she had the opportunity and time to get one. Plus, as her coworkers recently pointed out, she didn't _have_ to be the first one in the office every morning.

Because she was later than usual, however, the coffeeshop already had a line. For a split second, she considered heading straight to work instead, but ultimately decided to wait. She had an extra minute or two - she didn't have to be overzealous about getting to work, even though she was excited to start the day.

If anything, the wait gave her time to look around and soak in the familiar atmosphere. The coffeeshop had been part of her routine for a long time, and it was nice to be back. It was also nice to see that business was doing well. More than well, actually. The coffeeshop had a life and energy to it that she'd never seen before. Apparently, the lull in human customers had been temporary, as they now made up nearly half of the people in line and sitting at the tables.

Or maybe she just hadn't noticed before. Maybe she only saw what she wanted to see - it wouldn't be the first time something like that happened to her.

When she finally stepped up to the counter, a familiar smile greeted her.

"Hey, Blake!" Sam's ears perked up to match his excitement upon seeing her. "Haven't seen you around in a while. Everything going ok?"

"Things are great," she replied with a smile. "I just don't walk this way every morning anymore."

"Good changes, I hope?"

Thinking about the person behind most of her recent life changes, she smiled.

"Yes, very good."

"Good! You want a peach tea?"

"Yes, please. And an iced chai."

"You're mixing it up too?" Taking her card and swiping it through the machine, Sam chuckled and shook his head. "Hold tight, 'k?"

Without waiting for a response, he hurried away from the register and started making her order. While watching him brew the tea, she glanced to the side when another familiar face approached the counter.

"Hey Sam," the girl with red hair said, holding onto the strap of the bag slung over her shoulder. "I'm heading to class now."

"It's that time already?" Pausing what he was doing, Sam glanced at the clock before leaning across the counter and kissing the girl's cheek. Blake's brow raised at the affection, but she smiled when she noticed Sam's megawatt grin.

"Have a great class!" he added while his tail swished behind him. "I'll see you after."

After returning his smile with an enamored one of her own, the girl glanced at Blake, blushed, and hurried outside. Sam immediately returned to his tasks, and Blake smiled at how nonchalant that moment was.

"Wow, Sam," she commented while he snapped lids onto two cups of tea - one hot, one cold. "When did that happen?"

"Few weeks ago." After sliding the cups across the counter, he leaned forward and whispered, "If anyone asks, _she's _the one who asked _me _out."

When he laughed, Blake smiled and picked up the two drinks.

"Good for you," she said, meaning the words as truly as she could. "And have a good day."

Accepting his happy nod as a farewell, she left the coffeeshop with a lightness added to her step. Witnessing that small moment filled her with warmth, and she was genuinely happy for Sam and his new girlfriend. They made a cute couple.

Now that she'd acquired the drinks and some unexpected good news, her pace quickened on the way to work. She could afford to be late but...there was someone she wanted to see. Fortunately, it didn't take much longer to make it to the building and head upstairs to The Vale Voice. With both hands full, she used her elbow to push down the door handle and walked inside to find she was nearly the last one there.

Maybe it was better to come in late. When this happened, Yang sat right in front of her the moment she walked through the door…sometimes blissfully unaware of what was happening around her...

With light steps, Blake snuck up behind Yang, leaned forward, and set one of the drinks on the desk. Surprisingly, Yang didn't jump this time. She flinched a little, but she'd learned not to bolt out of her chair like she used to.

Progress was being made all around.

"Good morning," Blake whispered, releasing the drink and lingering near Yang's ear for as long as possible. From this close, she could see the details of Yang's eyes, and all she wanted was a kiss. As her willpower dwindled, she forced herself to move away, and Yang swiveled towards her with a smile.

"Good morning," she replied before her eyes shifted around the room. Sensing that no one was paying attention to them, she leaned forward and whispered, "I didn't hear you slip out this morning."

"That was intentional," Blake replied just as quietly. "I didn't want to wake you up."

Scooting forward, Yang trapped Blake between her knees and smiled, knowing that Blake couldn't move away even if she wanted to. Not that she wanted to.

"I needed to run home for a change of clothes," she explained, her gaze flitting to Lola to make sure she was still typing. "I can't keep wearing the same outfits..."

"I told you -"

"And your clothes aren't my...style."

Chuckling at the response, which went back to a lengthy and surprisingly enjoyable conversation, Yang squeezed her legs around Blake's knees and grinned.

"You could just leave some stuff at my place," she suggested, and Blake's brow rose.

"Really?"

"Yeah! I'll clear out a couple drawers for you."

From the way Yang beamed, the offer was no big deal. Maybe it wasn't. Blake spent nearly all of her free time at Yang's apartment anyway. She didn't want to admit it, and Yang hadn't caught on yet, but that was her relaxing place.

Sometimes, they made dinner together. Sometimes, they watched a movie or talked for hours. Other times, Blake needed to work, but Yang always let her work as much as she needed. If she didn't have to trek home for clean clothes all the time, they could spend even more time together.

"I'd like that," she admitted, but she meant more than just having a couple of drawers to call her own. From Yang's smile, she understood how Blake felt. They would love nothing more than to spend almost all of their day, every day, with each other.

Sensing someone nearby, Blake looked up in surprise as Velvet joined their conversation.

"Oh, good morning, Velvet."

Straightening up, Blake tried to look nonchalant while Yang released her legs and gave a cute little wave. Velvet, however, looked between them before leaning close and whispering - loudly - "You realize we all know you're dating, right?"

When the rest of the office chuckled, a blush rushed onto Blake's cheeks. Yang, meanwhile, looked briefly shocked before laughing - the sound never ceasing to put a smile on Blake's lips.

"Apparently, we work with some good journalists," Yang said.

"Or you two are just that obvious," Sun teased while Blake's incredulity grew. She hadn't thought they were being obvious but, if the entire office knew, they were.

"Well, go on," Lola prodded them with a smile. "Make it official."

Realizing what Lola meant, Blake glanced at Yang before quickly looking away. Just _talking _about this was enough to embarrass her. The thought of kissing Yang in front of her coworkers - her work family…

Returning her gaze to Yang, however, she paused. Yang expected a 'no.' That much was clear from her eyes, which gave Blake permission to walk away rather than entertain the request.

And Blake expected herself to say 'no,' which begged the question...why? They already knew about her and Yang's relationship, and apparently had for some time. And, from the good humor in the room, they weren't upset about it. If anything, they seemed particularly delighted that Velvet finally burst that bubble.

What was Blake so worried about? That the moment she kissed Yang, they changed their minds? Called her a traitor? Had they done anything to suggest that was even a remote possibility?

This was one of the moments she searched for - an opportunity to show Yang exactly how special she was. Reassurance that she wanted to be with Yang as much as Yang wanted to be with her, regardless of their differences.

So, instead of walking away, she leaned down and kissed Yang on the lips - a soft, slow kiss that still made her heart flutter. As soon as she heard the cheers, however, she rolled her eyes and straightened up.

"Alright, alright." Even though she motioned for everyone to quiet down, she couldn't suppress a smile. "Enough gawking - don't you have work to do?"

When Sun made a 'sort of' gesture, she gave him a look, and he laughed while spinning back to his computer. Everyone else mumbled some version of agreement, but they returned to their work with smiles and good cheer not present moments ago. Velvet looked particularly pleased at having been the one to make that company announcement, and winked at Blake before walking to her desk.

With the attention of the office drifting away from them, Blake returned hers to Yang. Yang couldn't stop grinning, probably because Blake just kissed her in front of the office - yet another public admission of their feelings.

Yang had no issue being together in public. She would, if Blake let her, shout about their relationship from the rooftops or tell every person she met. But, as she often did, she put her wishes on hold to move at a pace Blake was comfortable with.

Blake had grown more comfortable being together in public, but she'd wanted to keep it quiet at work to avoid any perception issues. Apparently, she had nothing to worry about.

"I hope that was ok," she said, even though she already knew the answer from Yang's smile.

"More than ok." Scooting forward, Yang again trapped Blake's legs between her knees. "You know I'm ok with that anytime, anywhere."

The sparkle in Yang's eyes implied she would be fine with another kiss immediately, but Blake now felt more than a little self-conscious about the idea.

"I'll...keep that in mind," she said before motioning towards her office. "I should probably get started now."

When Yang jumped up to follow, Blake smiled and headed to her desk. By now, Yang knew that Blake's computer took a few minutes to start and used the opportunity to continue their conversation.

"Anything you're craving for lunch?" she asked while sitting across from Blake. "I'll grab whatever you want."

After considering the offer, Blake shook her head.

"I'll just come with you, and we'll decide then."

"Wow. Blake Belladonna is going to take a break for me?"

Hearing the tease in Yang's tone, Blake scoffed.

"I take breaks for you all the time. If I remember correctly, the most recent one was just last night."

Blake smiled at Yang's stunned expression and felt even more self-satisfied when a blush reddened Yang's cheeks.

"Ok, but...that was, like...super intense."

"Did you not enjoy it?"

"No, I definitely did. I just..." Pausing with her mouth open, Yang thought about last night for a few seconds before shivering and shaking her head. "Uh, so, I had something to tell you, I think."

Blake laughed at the obvious topic change but let it slide - this time.

"You do?"

"Um…" Brow furrowed, Yang spent several seconds trying to remember before brightening. "Oh! Weiss and Ruby are back in town."

"Finally?"

"Yeah, and they'll probably stop by later. Weiss said she had something to talk to you about. Is that ok?"

Blake hadn't spoken to Weiss since they finalized the advertisements, which was done via email since Weiss was across the globe celebrating her engagement. And since Ruby was away with Weiss this entire time…

"Ruby's coming too?"

"Yup."

"Here? Like to the office - today?"

"Uh, yeah." Confused by the questions, Yang tilted her head and gave Blake a searching look. "Why? Is that not ok?"

From all of Yang's stories, Ruby sounded like a wonderful person. But Blake still silently worried that Ruby wouldn't be ok with her...differences.

"Blake?"

"That's...fine," she replied with a forced nod, even though she wondered if it would actually be fine. "I should have time so...that's fine."

"Wait, are you nervous?"

"No -"

"You are! Oh my god that's so cu-"

Reaching across the desk, Blake covered Yang's mouth to muffle the word and glanced into the office to make sure no one was paying attention. Satisfied that everyone was working or chatting, she dropped her hand and lowered her voice.

"It's just...she's your sister. Her opinion matters."

"Eh," Yang replied with a grin and shrug. "Not that much."

"Well it matters to me -"

"Then it matters to me." Dropping the playfulness, Yang leaned forward and set her hand over Blake's. "You don't need to worry. Ruby loves _everyone_."

"But I don't want her to like me only because she likes everyone."

For several seconds, Yang looked at Blake in that long, searching way she had. After finding whatever she hoped to find, she smiled and nodded.

"Do you really want me to list all the reasons she'll like you?"

"No." Knowing exactly where that conversation was headed, Blake turned towards her computer. "You have work to do, don't you?"

"You keep me busy," Yang replied with a grin. But, before leaving, she walked over, kissed Blake on the cheek, and whispered, "Don't worry, she'll adore you like I do."

When Blake gave Yang a look, she chuckled and backed towards the door.

"Ok, maybe not _exactly_ like I do," she clarified before heading back to her desk. She didn't return to whatever she'd been doing, however, without first taking a sip of the tea Blake brought her and smiling.

Pleased that the gesture was well-received, Blake tried to focus on work and not freak out over their unexpected company. She didn't want to say she was nervous, but...she was.

Ruby didn't _have_ to like Blake. If anything, she could be protective and suspicious of Blake's intentions. Or she could disapprove of Yang's choice of a Faunus as a partner. Or they could just not click. Any of those were legitimate possibilities, as far as Blake was concerned.

But she had Yang's assurance and, if Yang was wrong, Blake would remind her of that constantly for the next few years. Or however long they were together...which was hopefully longer than a few years.

Before following that train of thought too far, which had been quite an experience for her heart the last time, she diverted her attention to a page of unread emails. While she still had a lot of work to do, it was easier to handle now that the pressure was off. The revamp was still well-received, which meant readership was high, advertisers were happy, and she no longer worried about how they would pay their bills.

Their increased popularity came with some drawbacks, of course, such as the anti-Faunus commentators who had decided to take renewed aim at them, but she ignored the negative in favor of focusing on the positive. The Voice was stable and growing. Her coworkers were happy. And every Faunus she heard from loved the new direction. It was a lot of work, but rewarding work. Plus, Yang offered a pressure relief valve, of sorts - both in and out of the office.

Spotting motion out of the corner of her eye, Blake looked over as Sun let himself in.

"You'll _never_ guess what happened this weekend," he began like he always did, collapsing into the chair and making himself comfortable.

"Let me try," she interrupted before he launched into a recap. "You and your friends got kicked out of another club right before the hottest girl there gave you her number. Then you snuck back inside, got her number, pissed off her boyfriend, and beat it."

For several seconds, he stared at her. "Am I close?" she asked, finally snapping him out of that daze.

"And here I thought you never listened to me," he said before chuckling to himself. "But you missed a couple parts!"

When he launched into his story regardless, Blake rolled her eyes and went back to work. She didn't point out that he was right - she hadn't paid attention in the past. These days, however, she kept his words in more focus so she could respond when necessary. At the same time, she typed responses to the easiest emails in her inbox. They took twice as long with her split focus, but that was a reasonable trade-off for being a better friend.

"Wait a second." Holding up a hand, she turned away from the computer and gave him an incredulous look. "How were you not arrested?"

"It's not _illegal_," he argued until she raised her brow. "Ok, maybe it is, but only if you get caught!"

"I hope you don't plan on calling me from jail..."

"Like my one call?" he asked before grinning like mad. "But I would. Because you can call Weiss Schnee and get me out."

"Like she'd get you out of jail." The image was enough for her to smile and shake her head, but he looked pretty serious about it.

"You never know. Maybe she's taken a liking to me!"

"She's engaged," Blake pointed out.

"No way. Really?"

"Yes."

"But I thought she wasn't seeing anyone!" he whined.

"What made you think that?" Blake asked, feeling somewhat vindicated that she knew a piece of information he didn't.

"Because I thought she was dating Yang, but like, obviously that's not true, so I figured she was single." Catching on that he was flat-out wrong no matter what, he shook his head and waved his hands. "Ok, so she's not, but she could still like me!"

Blake laughed at the idea of Weiss taking a keen interest in Sun after hardly any interaction, but her laughter quickly faded when Velvet stood up to answer the door.

"Speaking of Weiss…" she mumbled before sending Sun an apologetic smile. "I need to meet her now, sorry."

"No problem!" After jumping out of his seat, he backed out the door with a smile. "I'll tell you the rest later."

He returned to his desk while Weiss walked inside, and Blake was already at the door to her office when her pace faltered. Weiss was alone, which, surprisingly, was a disappointment, but Blake hid the emotion while walking over to greet her.

"Where's Ruby?" Yang asked, saving Blake the question as she joined the conversation.

"She got distracted by a bakery across the way." Waving a hand in the general direction of the bakery, Weiss smiled. "I told her I'd get the 'boring' business matters out of the way first." Meeting Blake's gaze then, Weiss ducked her chin in greeting. "Nice to see you again."

"Nice to see you too," Blake replied with a nod.

Without rampant jealousy clouding her judgment, she remembered how intimidating Weiss was. The designer clothes, the perfect hair, but also...how close she was to Yang. Yang spoke very highly of her, but what must she think of Blake after their previous meeting?

"Shall we?"

When Weiss nodded towards Blake's office, Blake glanced at Yang.

"I'll wait here while you guys talk about 'boring' business matters," Yang joked, sitting down and waving Blake away.

Although Blake wouldn't have minded Yang's company, she felt assured that Yang didn't feel left out while she and Weiss headed into the office. Also adding to her reassurance - she had told Yang what happened with Weiss last time, and Yang didn't judge her horribly for it. Still, she had yet another apology to get out of the way.

"Before we begin," she said while sitting across from Weiss. "I'm sorry for how I treated you the last time you were here. I let my emotions get the best of me and took out my mistakes on you, which was...unprofessional and unacceptable. I hope you can forgive me but, if not, I understand."

After studying Blake long enough to make her shift in her seat and wonder if she wouldn't be forgiven, Weiss smiled.

"Water under the bridge," she replied with a wave of one hand. "What I wanted to speak to you about was actually business."

Earning Weiss' forgiveness felt almost too easy, as if Blake should be forced to grovel or beg for the opportunity to prove she had changed. But Weiss looked ready to forget the incident entirely, which Blake hoped meant her sincerity was evident enough that Weiss didn't question it.

"Sure," she replied, smiling in relief before settling into a topic she was much more comfortable with. "Do you want to make a change to the advertisements?"

"No, the advertisements are fine. I have another matter to discuss." Pausing for a second and tapping one finger on the edge of her bag, Weiss looked relatively undecided about how to phrase this topic.

Eventually, she leaned forward and said a single word - "Investment."

From the way Weiss said it, Blake felt like she should immediately understand the entire conversation. Instead, she blinked and said "...what?"

"Investment," Weiss repeated, regaining her confidence in a heartbeat. "I'd like to invest in The Vale Voice."

"You...what?"

"I know you'll need time to think about it," Weiss continued in a calm tone. "But I wanted to put it out there so you can start that process. I'd like to invest in this paper - not through my family's company, but myself personally. I'd like to make sure The Vale Voice stays around for a long, long time, and grows into something even larger than it is today."

For the life of her, Blake couldn't figure out what an investment from Weiss would even look like. No one had ever approached them with a proposition like this before.

"I'm sorry...but what do you mean, exactly?"

She felt dumb for needing clarification, but Weiss didn't respond as if it was a stupid question. Rather, she looked like she'd expected it.

"Vale needs this paper," she said, meeting Blake's gaze with clear, determined eyes. "Vale needs much more than this paper, really, but this is a good start. A way to get Faunus voices in front of the general public. A way to start conversations, which hopefully leads to change."

Blake agreed with everything Weiss said, but she still didn't understand the 'what' or 'how' of it.

"I'd like to invest in The Vale Voice," Weiss reiterated before Blake asked. "I'll write a check, or multiple checks, to fund whatever improvements you deem necessary. New office space, new computers, hiring more employees - maybe someone to help you with your workload. The money would be yours to do with as you see fit."

It sounded too good to be true. With more money, they could tackle some of the improvements Blake only dreamed about. An accountant. Maybe an editor. A bigger office so they could grow and take The Vale Voice to the next level.

"What's the catch?" she asked, realizing there must be one.

"It's an investment, Blake," Weiss replied while her lips tilted with a smile. "I give you money, you give me partial ownership."

Stunned by the idea, Blake sat back in her chair and couldn't find a response. An investor - a human investor - owning part of The Voice? It sounded...unfathomable.

"We would be partners," Weiss added when Blake didn't immediately respond. "Equally invested in making sure The Vale Voice succeeds."

Not long ago, Blake would have firmly and immediately declined such an offer. The Voice was for Faunus _only_. The Vale Voice was _their_ paper, their lives - their voice. Then Yang walked into her life, and everything changed.

"Let me think about it?" she asked, knowing she had to discuss the idea with her coworkers before making such an important decision.

"Of course. Take all the time you need. I only wanted to bring it up so you could mull it over."

Mull it over was an appropriate term for what Blake needed to do. Having a human investor - a human partner - in The Voice would be unprecedented. They never even had a human employee until Yang started quasi-working for them.

But...what better way to show acceptance and cooperation than by working together? What better way to show a united front than by having both Faunus and humans take part in this movement?

If her coworkers were on board, this might be an easier decision than Weiss thought.

When Blake opened her mouth to ask a question, however, the office door opened and someone new rushed inside. Realizing that the time had arrived, her heart bolted through her chest as a cute, slender brunette raced over to Yang and all but tackled her in a hug.

Sensing the distraction, Weiss glanced over her shoulder and smiled.

"Looks like Ruby brought some treats," she commented while Ruby presented two paper bags to the office. Considering she had just stopped by a bakery, they must be filled with pastries and other sweets.

With amusement growing right along with her nerves, Blake watched her coworkers congregate around Yang's desk as baked goods overtook it. From the rapid gestures Ruby made, she wanted everyone to help themselves, and they had no issue doing just that.

While everyone celebrated the unexpected treats, Yang said a few words to Ruby before motioning towards the office. As soon as Ruby turned that way, nerves raced through Blake's mind, and she reminded herself to breathe. She had Yang's reassurance...which was hopefully enough.

Ruby lit up upon seeing her - or maybe upon seeing Weiss - and hurried to the office with Yang trying to catch up.

"Ruby -" Yang said before sighing when Ruby rushed through the door first. After kissing Weiss' cheek, she turned a bright, effortless smile towards Blake and stuck out one hand.

"Hey! I'm Ruby - you must be Blake!"

Of the many things Blake expected Ruby to be, the person standing in front of her was even more effusive than Yang described. The waves of energy rolling off of her weren't overwhelming, however. Rather, they were uplifting in a way that made Blake feel energetic too. That, and Ruby's smile didn't hold a single negative emotion towards her, which went a long way in erasing some of her nerves.

"It's nice to meet you, Ruby," she replied while shaking Ruby's hand.

"Nice to meet you, too!" Dropping Blake's hand but not a hint of her smile, Ruby turned to the side and nudged Yang's elbow. "Yang's only been talking about you _nonstop_ for _forever _now..."

When Blake shot Yang an amused look, she chuckled.

"Ok, Ruby…"

"No, seriously! It's always 'Blake's so funny.' 'You know who's super smart? Blake.' 'There isn't a prettier girl in the _world_ than Blake.'"

"Ruby!" Yang yelped, her cheeks suddenly looking quite flushed. "Jeez, how big has your mouth gotten?"

"My mouth's bigger?"

"I think so. Here, lemme see -" When Yang tried to grab Ruby's cheeks, Weiss tugged Ruby closer to her.

"Don't listen to her, Ruby. Your mouth is beautiful."

Those simple words wiped away Ruby's concern and gave away something Blake hadn't expected to see - Weiss' very obvious personal weakness.

"As beautiful as Blake?" Ruby joked while reaching over to tap Yang's arm. When Ruby grinned, however, Yang sighed.

"_Now_ I remember why I didn't want you two to meet…"

"But you've always wanted me to meet her, remember?" When Yang shrugged and faked a healthy amount of nonchalance, Ruby smiled at Blake. "She really has been talking about you forever. Or at least, ever since she started here. Didn't you invite her out so I could meet her, but she wouldn't go?"

When Ruby turned back to Yang with the question, Blake did too, wondering what this invitation was.

"The Vale Fair…" Yang mumbled before running a hand through her hair and flashing a brilliant, albeit fake smile. "She worked instead."

While Ruby giggled at the response, Blake tilted her head and gave Yang a long look. She remembered the invitation, which came at a time they hadn't known each other very well, and she hadn't been comfortable with the idea of spending time together.

"You were _so _bummed," Ruby teased, and Yang chuckled but looked even more embarrassed by the information Ruby was sharing.

Blake, however, found the conversation extremely enjoyable, if only for how embarrassed Yang was. Learning how Yang felt about her was a bonus, and she couldn't help wanting to know more. Like when did Yang realize she _liked_ Blake? When she realized, what did she say? What did she do?

"We should have lunch sometime," Blake said, grinning at Yang so she knew exactly what, or who, would be talked about at that lunch.

"That sounds like fun! Then I can tell you all about how much Yang _lov-_"

The word cut off in a muffle when Yang clamped a hand over her sister's mouth.

"Ok, Ruby! Let's let our better halves get back to work, huh? Besides, I need to officially introduce you to everyone."

"Mmk," Ruby muttered through Yang's hand.

"It was nice to finally meet you, Ruby," Blake added while Yang marched her sister out of the office. Yang didn't release Ruby until the door closed behind them, and Blake chuckled while they walked over to Brand for an introduction.

While Brand shook Ruby's hand, Blake noticed the way Weiss' gaze lingered on Ruby, and a smile remained in place. Her entire persona had transformed after Ruby's arrival. Without saying anything, she made her affection and love for Ruby known to the world.

Blake never would have expected to see such a change from someone like Weiss, who seemed more than adept at holding her emotions - and therefore her strengths and weaknesses - close to the vest. That type of open commitment and honesty, however, was something Blake aspired to.

"She can sure change a mood," Blake commented, drawing Weiss' gaze back to her.

"I could say the same about Yang," Weiss countered with a motion towards Blake. And, with that single comment, Blake realized she might not have as far to go as she thought. Maybe her feelings for Yang were obvious. Maybe she also lit up whenever Yang walked into the room.

She liked to believe so.

"You know...it wasn't that long ago when I might've been one of those humans you fight against," Weiss confessed before shaking her head. "It's funny how one person can change the way you see the world."

With her gaze invariably drawn back to Yang, Blake smiled.

"I think I can understand that feeling," she admitted, her smile growing when Brand said something and Yang and Ruby both burst into laughter.

"They see things differently." Blake's gaze returned to Weiss at the comment, but Weiss was still watching Ruby with a smile. "They value character over appearance. All they want is a world where everyone can be happy - human or Faunus doesn't matter."

After a few seconds of silence passed, Weiss sighed and met Blake's gaze.

"They pointed out so much that was wrong, I knew I couldn't sit back any longer. I looked for any opportunity to bring humans and Faunus together - forming little league teams, changing hiring policies, responding to emails from small, traditionally Faunus papers."

Weiss nodded at Blake with the disclosure, and she realized that was how this all started - with Ruby and Yang convincing Weiss to make a change.

"If you talked to me ten years ago, I wouldn't have considered it." Turning away from Blake, Weiss again found Ruby and smiled. "But she changed me for the better, and I'll never stop trying to change the world for her."

Blake had no idea what to say to that. All this time, she thought it was luck or pity that brought Weiss into the office that day. As it turned out, it was someone's positive influence - similar to the changes Blake had felt recently.

With such an intimate and sincere look into who Weiss was and used to be, Blake realized that she wasn't that intimidating, after all. She had money, power, and beauty, but it was her love for Ruby that drove her. And Blake understood that feeling completely.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked, and continued once Weiss nodded. "Did you know? That I was too...Faunus-centric?"

Pursing her lips, Weiss thought carefully on an answer before responding.

"I had an idea, but it was more of a hunch than anything. Don't get me wrong - you were kind and hospitable, but I got this sense that…" Finally figuring it out, Weiss met Blake's gaze. "That I was in your space, and you weren't entirely happy about that."

"So your solution was to force Yang into my space and hope I'd get used to it?" Blake asked, but Weiss shook her head and smiled.

"If only I could claim to be so forward-thinking. But Yang has acted as my eyes before, and I've found her perception quite valuable in separating the good eggs from the bad. It was an unintended benefit that you two ended up...where you ended up."

When Weiss gave Blake a knowing look, Blake sighed at how transparent she apparently was.

"Yes, we're together," she replied to the unasked question, and Weiss brightened at the confirmation.

"From the messages she's sent me, I'd hope so."

"...what kind of messages?"

Weiss' expression was neutral, but there was humor in those blue eyes.

"Over the years, Yang and I have grown quite close," was Weiss' answer, which said about what Blake expected. Now, she was curious to know what Yang told Weiss. Did she gush about Blake? Did she mention how she felt about their relationship, or what kind of future they might have?

With Weiss moving towards the door, however, there wasn't time for those questions.

"I'm glad we were able to piece this all together," she added as her formality returned. "It's been lovely working with you and, if I had to guess, we'll see each other much more often from here on out."

"We will?" Blake asked, and Weiss nodded towards Ruby and Yang, who were talking with Sun. The use of hand gestures around his desk could classify as an occupational hazard at the moment. Thankfully, everyone else was steering clear of the excitement.

"They're practically glued at the hip, you know."

As that response sunk in, Blake found she wasn't nearly as resistant to the idea as she would have thought. Contrary to first or second impressions, Weiss seemed like a nice person. Plus, she and Blake might have more similarities than expected.

Following Weiss out of the office, Blake smiled when she heard Ruby talking about a thousand miles per minute with Sun, who replied at an equally fast pace.

"Ok Ruby," Weiss interrupted in a gentle voice. "We should let them go back to work."

"Oh, yeah. Probably." Ruby smiled at Sun, who looked disappointed that he couldn't keep talking forever. "But I'll come back sometime!" she promised. "And we'll finish that story."

"Deal!" Sun stuck out a hand and shook Ruby's - which earned him an intent look from Weiss - before heading back to his desk. He didn't sit down, however, without first flashing a blinding grin to Blake.

Shaking her head at his happiness at making new friends, she smiled when a warm presence appeared by her elbow. She didn't need to look to know Yang had returned to her side, but she looked over anyway. Her heart immediately swelled with joy, and she reached down to hold Yang's hand while the four of them moved into the hallway to talk privately.

"Thanks for stopping by," Blake said while Yang closed the door behind them.

"Thanks for letting us stop by!" Ruby replied with a grin. "I'm glad I finally got to meet you."

"Same to you." When Yang slid closer to Blake's side, she looked over and smiled. "And I'm serious about getting lunch sometime."

"Oh!" Turning towards Weiss, who gave a nearly imperceptible nod, Ruby smiled even brighter. "Actually, Weiss and I wanted to invite you to dinner tonight."

Blake was caught off guard by the unexpected invitation, but Ruby continued with a happy, jittery energy spilling out.

"You and Yang both," she clarified. "We have tons of stories from our trip!"

"Oh, I dunno Ruby." Yang gave Blake's hand a reassuring squeeze, silently saying that they didn't have to go. "We'll have to see how work goes…"

"But I'm not busy tonight," Blake said, smiling at the surprise in Yang's eyes. "Unless you are?"

"Free as a bird." Laughing at the abrupt change, Yang grinned at Ruby and Weiss. "Dinner sounds great."

"Awesome!"

"I'll make a reservation," Weiss replied, gently pulling Ruby towards the stairwell before giving Yang a knowing look. "I think anywhere with good fish will do?"

When Blake also looked over, Yang chuckled and ran a hand through her hair.

"Yeah, that sounds great," she said anyway, and Weiss nodded before suddenly stopping and narrowing her eyes.

"Wait...is this where you've been working in the mornings?" she asked, which Yang's grimace immediately answered. Weiss, however, glanced at Blake then sighed. "Well whatever…" she grumbled while Ruby grinned and flashed Yang a thumbs up. "I guess it's good you're here to help..."

"See you guys later!" Ruby added before following Weiss down the stairs. Once the sound of their voices faded away, Yang gave Blake a timid smile.

"So...that's my sister…"

Blake couldn't help laughing at Yang's expression and the information Ruby spilled earlier.

"She's adorable," she added with a smile. And, no matter how embarrassed Yang felt, the reply made her light up with happiness.

"You think? I think so too! But apparently she has a problem with not shutting up..."

"That only adds to her charm," Blake replied. "And I'm serious about having lunch with her, so is there anything you'd like to confess beforehand?"

Blake meant the comment as a joke, but Yang stared at her for a few seconds before nodding.

"Actually, yeah. There's something I've wanted to tell you."

When Yang reached out and held both of Blake's hands, Blake's heart started racing.

"Blake Belladonna…" Yang said slowly, her lilac eyes sparkling while Blake hung onto every word. "Will you _please_ wash my clothes so they smell like you?"

Blake immediately groaned and pushed Yang away from her.

"That's a no," she clipped while Yang laughed. When she reached for the door handle to let herself back into the office, however, Yang gently spun her back around.

"But why not? Seriously, I'd love nothing more than to wake up next to you, then slide into clothes that smell just like you."

"I'm ordering you a book on cats," Blake grumbled before making another move towards the door, but Yang wouldn't let her leave.

"Now you have to tell me! What am I missing?"

"You're asking me to mark you!" Blake replied, her cheeks burning with embarrassment while Yang blinked in surprise.

"Mark me? But...what does that mean?"

Blowing a puff of air through her lips, Blake knew she had to explain now that she brought up the term. Even though the subject made her want to hide her face in her hands.

"It means...basically, marking you as my...possession."

For a few seconds, Yang looked shocked by the explanation. Then that shock morphed into cheerful laughter, and she nodded.

"Then yes. That's what I'm asking you to do."

"What? But why -"

"Blake, I love you."

Blake's heart jumped at the unexpected confession, but Yang continued.

"And that means I _want_ to belong to you. Only, you know, not in a creepy way. Just in a regular, loving, normal - shit I just lost it, didn't I?" Noticing the continued silence, Yang squeezed Blake's hands. "I'm sorry - I didn't mean to freak you out. Just forget I said anything."

Blake didn't want to forget it, but Yang was already moving on - scrambling for another subject before saying, "So, uh, what'd Weiss want to talk about?"

"She wants to invest in The Voice," Blake replied, not caring about the words while staring at Yang and feeling her heart grow with affection and...love.

"Invest as in…?"

"Buy partial ownership," Blake confirmed.

"Oh, wow. I had no idea…" After trailing off, Yang shook her head. "You can tell her 'no.' I mean, she doesn't take 'no' very well, but this is your thing and just because she wants to throw money around...what?"

Surprised by Blake's smile, Yang finally stopped talking and tilted her head.

"You think I won't let a human have ownership of The Voice?" Blake asked.

"Uh...yes?"

Shaking her head, Blake raised her hand and trailed her fingers through Yang's hair. She loved Yang's hair so much. She loved how soft it was, she loved how it smelled, she loved that it was hers, in a way, to touch whenever and however she wanted.

She loved Yang. For the way Yang made her feel. For how happy she was when they were together. For how Yang challenged her to be a better person each and every day. And for how, no matter what, Yang supported her through thick and thin.

Yang deserved to know how special she was.

"Yang…" Blake whispered while tucking a strand of hair behind Yang's ear. "Why wouldn't I let a human have ownership in The Voice when I'm willing to give one my heart?"

Still running her fingers through Yang's hair, she smiled while Yang stared at her with a mixture of delight and surprise in her eyes.

"Uh -" A grin appeared while Yang set her hands on Blake's hips. "In the interest of making sure we're both on the same page…"

"I love you too," Blake elaborated before pulling Yang down for a kiss.

She felt the smile on Yang's lips, which made her smile in turn, and her heart danced while their lips moved together. In moments like these, she knew - without a doubt - that this was _right_.

When Yang finally pulled away, she couldn't stop smiling.

"You do?"

"I do." Blake's smile widened upon hearing Yang's relieved laugh, and she caught Yang's gaze knowing they had quite a few more kisses to share before returning to work. Before that, however, she had one more thing to add.

Running her hands through Yang's hair and bringing their lips tantalizingly close, she looked deep into Yang's eyes and smiled.

"Thank you for being you," she whispered before capturing Yang's lips for the first of many kisses, hoping the actions expressed her love better than words ever could.

Because she loved Yang with all of her heart. She loved Yang for everything she was - supportive, patient, compassionate, tolerant, forgiving...and human.


	22. Chapter 22 - Extra

**While the story is officially over, I thought it would be a shame to leave this universe behind without seeing what the characters spent all their time working on (besides getting Yang and Blake together). So, without further ado, I present you with a little piece written by each of our characters. See if you can match each to its respective author!**

* * *

**Designed by Faunus**

Behind the scenes of your favorite movie or television show, a supporting cast brings the characters to life through makeup and costume design. What many outside of the entertainment industry don't know, however, is that this field of work is increasingly pioneered by some of the best and brightest Faunus minds.

The most recent entry in The Dust Chronicles featured an all-Faunus crew tasked with makeup and costume choices for the cast. Sunflower, the longest-running musical showing downtown, has a rotating crew of Faunus helping with the exorbitant makeup necessary to bring the environment to life. Even pop artist Cheyenne's new music video turned to a group of Faunus to create realistic costumes from a time period hundreds of years ago.

How have Faunus become so prominent in this particular field? "I'm not really sure," says Cora Jasper, creator of the adventure outfits worn in The Dust Chronicles. "This has always come fairly easily to me, and I can only guess because I had all different types of friends growing up."

Could experience with multiple species really be such a benefit? "Imagine playing dress-up with a bear and a raccoon," explains Brielle Atticus, who just helped Sunflower win an industry award for best makeup. "Changing their appearance takes quite a bit of imagination and ingenuity...and a lot of makeup."

If you talk to any Faunus working in the costume department, they'll attribute their savvy more to early learning experiences than innate ability. And, as a group, they're quick to point out that they compose only a small subset of the greater entertainment industry.

"Working with fellow Faunus has been a dream," Cora says. "But there are still too many areas where Faunus are underrepresented or flat out non-existent."

"It's better than nothing," Brielle echoed in a similar sentiment. "But if you want to move into another position, even just a half step away, good luck."

And therein lies the issue - closed doors abound even as great strides have been made. However, there is hope that times are changing, no matter how slow. Just last week, a Faunus-run team won an esteemed industry award for best costume design. And, for the first time ever, a Faunus was named the lead costume designer of an upcoming blockbuster film.

For some, the change can't come fast enough. Others hold a sense of gratitude that there's been any change at all. In a world that revolves around creating the most convincing mask, there's blossoming hope that the masks won't apply to those behind the scenes much longer.

* * *

**A Lion of a Campaign**

For most, the adage 'politics is life' invokes the terrors of public speaking and accountability to the masses. For others, it rings true as a philosophy followed through thick or thin - a calling that, once heard, is impossible to shake.

"I've run for office...eight times now, I think."

Theodore Kane, a lion Faunus with a prodigious mane and roar of a laugh, more than looks the part of a leader - he feels it.

"In grade school, I 'presided' over the playground. Created rules everyone had to follow or else risk losing privileges." He chuckles at the memories, which were corroborated by several of his classmates, who remain friends with him to this day. "I've always felt most comfortable in front of the group, not behind."

Now a husband, father, and successful businessman, Theo has submitted his candidacy for office time and time again, with similar results. The county clerk, Naomi Amara, knows him by first name, and knows exactly where his records are stored.

"You can't help but root for him," she says, but Theo's far-from-sterling political record demonstrates that rooting isn't enough. For a man who's experienced minimal difficulties leading in his personal life, public office remains an unsolvable enigma.

"I took a break this year to take a step back, reevaluate, and spend more time with my family."

The Kane household is raucous but orderly, as overseen by Theo's wife, Lynnette. "Convincing him to take a year off was worse than bath time around here," she explains while signing forms and stuffing lunchboxes for their two young boys. "He's a great leader - smart, fair, judicious. He was born to lead. All he needs is a chance."

That chance eludes Theo even as he's garnered growing support amongst Faunus. When asked what's holding him back, however, he's not keen on singling out his race.

"I don't think that's it," he contends. "If a leader is good enough, people will follow. I just need to...sharpen my claws, as my pop would say."

It's that persistent nature - that innate call to rush to the front of the class - that compels him to try again next year. "We're gearing up for something big. With a year off, we have more time to prepare for the next election, and I think it's going to be the one."

His wide, confident smile makes it impossible not to believe him. Or, at the very least, makes it impossible not to root for him.

* * *

**One Gray Morning**

Last Thursday, in the dead of night, a crime occurred in downtown Vale. Someone or someones broke through the front window of The Treasure Chest, tripping the alarm before ransacking the inside. The burglars turned over shelves, broke merchandise, and emptied the registers before moving on to the office, where they used a sledgehammer to break apart the small safe hidden under a desk.

By the time the owners arrived, the robbers were gone, and the police had yet to show up.

"She told me the alarm was a waste," Howard Gray says while sweeping up shards of glass the next morning. "I thought the sound would scare someone off, at least..."

According to the couple, the police eventually showed up, took their statement along with several photographs of the damage, and left with the promise of opening an investigation. The Grays aren't holding their breath, however, while starting the rebuilding process on their own.

"Oh, we've seen this happen plenty of times before. You just...never expect it to happen to you." There are still tears in Mrs. Gray's eyes as she cleans off one row of shelves and moves to the next. "We've been here for eleven years without incident, but now we have to think...should we reopen? Or should we quit while we're still ahead?"

"There's an active investigation," Officer Winston states from the downtown police precinct. "We don't have additional information at this time." When pressed to explain what exactly will be done to find the culprits, he responds with "an officer has been assigned to the case" and not much else.

'Not much else' is a stinging response to an incident that turned two lives upside down.

"We don't expect to get that money back or find out who did this," Mr. Gray admits. "That's just the way it is."

Now, the Grays are just one more case added to the hundreds of crimes against Faunus that are still under investigation. With some of those cases going on years old, it might be fair to question exactly how active they are or what efforts are being made to solve them.

Maybe one day the culprits will be found, but until then, the Grays are more concerned with the unexpected decision they face. After eleven successful years running their small business, do they start over? Or do they close up shop for good?

As the neighborhood wakes up, many stop and stare at the destruction that occurred overnight. It's a small badger, however, who carefully approaches the store and finds the owners cleaning inside.

"Can I help?" he asks and, as Mr. Gray walks over with a spare broom, Mrs. Gray's eyes fill with tears.

"Maybe we'll re-open after all."

* * *

**Floundering with Flounder Ball**

To someone who's never seen or played Flounder Ball before, it probably looks like a bunch of people aimlessly running around while one person holds a soccer ball. But that's the point - no one knows what's happening during a game of Flounder Ball. At least, most of the time they don't, hence why they 'flounder.'

"It's the best game I've ever played," claims Everett Brown, captain of the Vale Foulers. "And I've played them all."

The Foulers practice every Tuesday night, keeping their skills sharp while also pinpointing their opponents' weaknesses. One of the best parts about Flounder Ball isn't running around the field trying to figure out what's going on - it's gaining intimate knowledge of your opponents and using that knowledge to put them at a disadvantage.

"There's a starting set of rules," explains Liam James, captain of The Vale Victories. "Every game begins with the same three: goals are worth one point, can't hold the ball longer than ten seconds, and try not to physically harm one another. Emotional harm is a gray area."

The starting rules might sound standard and organized, but that's only the beginning of the game.

"What makes Flounder Ball so awesome is that the rules change," Liam says during the intermission of a match. "Once someone scores, the trailing team gets to create a new rule. That's where things get interesting."

"Only non-dominant hands, can't talk, can't shoot from closer than ten feet, can't make eye contact with spectators," Everett lists off on his fingers. "Can only run backward, or sideways, and have to crawl on your hands and knees - it's all on the table. But the rule applies to everyone, so you've gotta be careful."

It's a delicate balance, where one team tries to target an opponent's weakness while not handicapping themselves.

"Last week, the Foulers thought it'd be smart to make everyone run backward." Liam laughs and shakes his head at the memory. "Little did they know, their pal Oz couldn't run backward to save his life. Ended up forfeiting the point just so they could repeal the rule."

And therein lies the fun of Flounder Ball - everyone's floundering. No one knows what they're doing, but everyone's having fun.

"We have a league that plays every Thursday," Everett adds before returning to a game. "Anyone's welcome to join - human, Faunus, kids, grown-ups, whoever. We don't mind. The more people losing their shit out here, the better."

* * *

**A New Voice**

Consider, for a second, the last person you met - the last person who was a stranger up until the moment you introduced yourself, or they introduced themselves, or someone else introduced the two of you. How would you describe them? Funny? Intelligent? Witty? Shy? Talkative? Dry?

Chances are, you would use at least one of those words, but something is missing. Something you probably thought without thinking, or said without realizing. The most fundamental description applicable to each and every one of us:

Human or Faunus?

One of those terms - but not both - apply to us all, and they come before any of the descriptions listed above. At the end of the day, we can become more intelligent, we can become funnier, but we can't become more - or less - human or Faunus. Those words, and those alone, define us for our entire lives.

But should they? Should they be more important than someone's humor, intellect, or wit?

We don't believe so, which is why we at The Vale Voice are embarking upon a new journey. Searching for a new set of descriptors, some might say. Challenging the status quo, others might argue.

To us, this is about shining a light past the word 'Faunus' and illuminating what lies beyond. What else can Faunus be? What else can Faunus do, and how do they do it? Are they funny, smart, witty, or intelligent? Are they dry, boring, or shy?

Many of you might stop here. Many of you might not care. But, if you want to see what's behind that first descriptor - if you want to see what else Faunus can be - we hope to have what you're looking for.

Rather than report the news, as we've always done, we will report on Faunus - whether that be Faunus events, Faunus ways of life, or simply interesting facts about a group that can't escape their description any more than humans can.

We hope that, through depictions you might not have seen or heard before, you can add new words to go along with 'Faunus.'

Human or Faunus...but what else?

Keep reading to find out.

* * *

**Somewhere to Call Home**

In the middle of a quiet neighborhood street lies a spacious home that, from a distance, looks no more special than the houses beside it. The moment you step inside, however, you're greeted by the sound of laughter and children playing. Six children, to be exact. All Faunus - and all foster children.

Welcome to Ms. Woodley's home.

A Faunus herself, Ms. Woodley has opened her heart and home to dozens of Faunus children over the years. The memories of each child line the wall of her office, each story kept in a blue binder on a bookshelf filled with them.

"My husband and I always wanted a big family…" she provides as a reason for her lively household. "After he passed away, I thought to myself - why not?"

While Ms. Woodley's reason for becoming a foster parent might not be unique, her entirely-Faunus group of foster children is.

"We're fortunate to have a great system of foster parents," says Audrey Zimmer, head of Vale's Department of Child Services (DCS). "Over 80% of our foster children stay with a single foster before being adopted or returned to their families.

Diving into those numbers, however, reveals a different reality - foster stability is typically reserved for human, not Faunus, children.

"The system is broken," states Ms. Woodley. "Fosters can decline a child for any reason, at any time, which negatively impacts Faunus more than human children. Other fosters just don't want Faunus."

Through no fault of their own, Faunus children often find themselves moved from house-to-house, which - as DCS is quick to point out - can negatively impact their emotional development and overall happiness.

"We use a blind system to prevent bias," Audrey states when asked. "But we can't penalize parents if it's not a good fit. A bad foster experience could result in a loss of that particular foster parent for good."

So what's the solution? How do we prevent Faunus children from being passed from home-to-home during the most formative years of their lives? How do we provide them with safety and security while they wait for a permanent home?

"We need to make sure our fosters take their job seriously," Ms. Woodley suggests. "And there needs to be more follow-up to ensure all the children are being appropriately taken care of. That follow-up needs to be done by people who genuinely care about what's best for any children - human or otherwise."

Along with these suggestions, the addition of more foster parents willing to care for Faunus would be a tremendous help - both to fill the gaps in the system and ease the strain placed on these young children's lives.

Until something changes, however, Ms. Woodley will continue bringing in as many children as her house can hold - Faunus or otherwise.**  
**

* * *

**Letter from the Editor**

If my job has taught me anything, it's that we always have more to learn. From childhood, through adulthood, all the way to our very last day, there's always something new to discover - if we're accepting of it.

That's the hardest obstacle to overcome - acceptance. As we leave school and embark upon our careers, we grow more resistant to change and the daily lessons life throws our way. We think we've already learned enough, that we already have life figured out, or that we don't need the reminders of how little we truly know. But, if you can accept that you'll never stop learning - about life, about yourself, about others - you'll find endless ways to better yourself.

My life has been devoted to improving Human-Faunus relations, yet it was only recently that I learned one of my most valuable lessons yet. This particular lesson was delivered the hard way, through a mistake that could have been avoided had I only been willing to accept change. This lesson is so simple to say yet so difficult to grasp that I felt compelled to share it with anyone willing to open their minds for just the next few minutes of time.

We all have flaws.

Even we, as Faunus, are capable of judging someone based not on their character but on their appearance. Sometimes, we're guilty of treating humans the very way we don't want to be treated. Sometimes, we're hypocritical.

This isn't a condemnation of Faunus, or humans, or anyone who's ever acted in one of these ways. It's a reminder that there's always more to learn. And, more specifically, that we shouldn't lose sight of a common goal - equality for everyone, human and Faunus alike.

For those of you willing to listen - for those of you open to change - I offer nothing more than a reminder. We should accept our human counterparts. We can't fix inequality by lowering their position, by dragging them down to our level, but rather by lifting ourselves up. With our human allies giving us a hand, we are capable of anything - together.

But first, we must be willing to accept change, and open our hearts and minds to the new ideas and lessons brought our way. You never know what you may learn, and you never know how it might change you for the better.


End file.
